Doubutsu Sentai Moriranger! (Fixed)
by Glassed Takanofu
Summary: Three sisters find themselves caught in a battle that once involved their deceased parents. Akane, the eldest daughter, is under pressure after keeping a family secret unknown to her younger sisters. These three battle an evil entity who aims to destroy their family and the world they love.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hello, readers~ This is actually a revised version of a story I started about 7 years ago and that was when I was not good at writing (I'm still not that good but I'm improving). I definitely do not own the Super Sentai franchise or any canon characters. I may include some in future chapters as guests so look forward to that! I will also be posting translations of honorifics and titles I give to the characters at the bottom of this chapter to help you know how they are used and why.**_

* * *

The sound of ruffling papers was heard as a young woman scrambled to collect all of her papers that fell to the floor, brushing a lock of her long raven hair behind her ear as she worked. "Of all days to drop everything..." she muttered to herself.

A hand reached down to gather the rest of the papers before holding it out to her. She looked up to find another young woman around the same age as her. "Akane. You're getting sloppy," she teased.

She let out a short laugh before standing up, accepting the papers. "Can't be helped, Hotaru. I have all of these papers to hand in before I have to go pick up my sisters from school." She quickly brought her belongings to a nearby table to sort through the papers, putting them in order. "Tomoko was sick for a whole week so I have to keep an eye on her."

"College student, part-time manager of the local corner shop, and guardian of her two sisters. You're stressing yourself out," Hotaru chided, poking her friend's head in annoyance. She was brushed off.

"Yea, well I don't have a choice. Someone has to take care of them. Forcing them into an orphanage won't do them any good." She stuffed the papers into her backpack. "You know how we are, Ttaru. We have to stick together now that our parents are gone."

Hotaru pursed her lips, knowing it's serious when the girl mentions her parents. "Just tell me if you need any help. I'm still working on my sister to make her help out."

"Don't force her. You two are busy since you're part of Japan's biggest idol group. Can't put too much of a burden on you. Fans will notice and cause an outrage." She stopped when she felt a small peck on her cheek.

"I just want you to be okay. They're like my sisters, too. Besides, fans won't know about us. They know I flirt with the others for fun. They won't know the difference."

"You're telling this to the heiress of the biggest tech company in Tokyo. Believe me, you're just asking for trouble." She poked her friend's nose. "Things might get crazy from now on. I want you to stay safe and maybe away from my family for a bit."

Hotaru looked at her friend, her smile disappearing at the change in tone. "Your weird sixth sense again?" she asked, worry evident.

Akane gave a nod. "Don't tell your sister. I don't want her worrying about us more than she already is." She adjusted her backpack. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Y-yea... Keep safe. I don't want you to get caught in anything crazy." She gave her another peck on the cheek. She gave a small smile before leaving, letting Akane run off to drop off her papers.

* * *

A crash was heard as a petite girl was pushed against the shoe lockers at Ajimoto Academy's High School. Her legs gave out but was forced against the locker by the collar of her shirt. "Listen here, Tanaka. Either you do my homework or I'll make you," the taller girl scowled as she tightly gripped the girl's uniform.

The small girl weakly opened her eyes, revealing a mix of orange and dark blue in her irises. She coward when she saw the smirk on the taller girl's face. Within moments, she was knocked into the ground by a swift punch.

"You're a freak, Tanaka! That's why no one's a friend to you!" she taunted before pulling her leg back for a kick. She swung but was blocked by another leg. "What the-?!" She was cut off by a blow to the stomach, knocking her back from the force.

"I thought I told you to leave my sister alone, Fujinori," Akane said firmly as she stood in front of her sister protectively, her irises turning red for a moment.

"Tch... Hiding behind your sister again?"

"Get out of my sight, Fujinori. Have something better to do like look for colleges to apply to or something."

The girl scowled before running away. Akane let out a sigh before looking at the small girl. She knelt down and offered a kind smile. "Sorry for being late, Tomoko," she said. She took hold of the small girl's hand and lifted her to her feet. She noticed soft blue glows surrounding her sister's injuries before both disappeared. Her expression saddened at the sight, knowing people like the girl before would take advantage of that. "You okay?"

She shook her head. "You didn't have to do that..." she murmured weakly as her gaze never left the ground.

"It's my job to protect you. I promised you that when you started going to school again. Come on. We have to go get Kiku before we head back. Okay?"

Tomoko gave a small nod. Akane carefully intertwined her pinky with her sister's in comfort before leading her out of the school. They heard footsteps and looked at the gate to find a girl around Akane's height but wore a school uniform different from Tomoko. Her tie seemed to be loose around her neck and the top two buttons were undone on her dress shirt.

"What took you guys so long?" she questioned, a pout on her face. She walked up to her sisters before seeing the look on Tomoko's face. She took hold of her face and found the smaller girl wincing. She noticed her cheek was slightly swollen and let go. "Figured. You should get some lessons from Nee-chan if you want to protect yourself, Ji-nee. Can't let yourself get beaten up even if you heal quickly."

"Don't blame her for that, Kiku," Akane chided," Besides, it was my fault since I had extra papers to hand in. Don't take it out on her."

"Yea, yea. Come on. We still have to figure out what to eat for dinner."

* * *

The three girls loaded her schoolbags into the cart when they reached the supermarket. "Anything you guys have in mind?" Akane asked, receiving head shakes from her sisters. She sighed. "Curry, it is. Kiku. Go find the roux. Tomoko and I will be getting all of the veggies."

"Roger."

* * *

"How's kendo going? You've missed a week of practice," Akane said as she picked out the carrots on one aisle, Tomoko across from her to look at the potatoes.

"It's fine... Takahashi-san helped me catch up on the strategy changes. The competition is next week and I don't want to disappoint them... Papa, especially..."

Akane stopped at the mention of their father. She looked up at her sister and saw the blueness in her eyes. She softly smiled. "I'm sure he'll be proud. It's your first kendo competition so he wouldn't miss it."

"I hope so... It's the last one of the year... I can't disappoint them..." Tomoko bagged the potatoes before going on to the onions.

Akane let out a sigh and placed the tomatoes into the cart, only to find a small pile of snacks and two boxes of roux. She looked at her youngest sister who was reading the label on one of them. "Make sure it lasts for the whole week, Kiku. We can't overindulge."

"Uh-huh..." She didn't seem to take her eyes off the box, carefully analyzing it.

Akane let out a sigh before putting the groceries into the cart. She looked at the ingredients. "Anything else?"

She spotted a few boxes of chocolate covered ice cream being placed. She looked up to find Tomoko fiddling her thumbs, a longing look in her eyes. She smiled. "Whoever gets a star is excused from making dinner."

Her younger sisters quietly cheered before making their way to the register. Akane paid for the groceries as they were placed into the bag she had with her. Her eyes turned red for a moment as she looked at the entrance. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion before finding her sleeve tugged. She looked at her sisters who were also worried, a violet tint in Tomoko's eyes. She looked around and noticed people didn't seem to be aware of the strange feeling the three felt and took hold of the bag. "Come on. We shouldn't wait any longer-!"

She was cut off by a loud roar. Everyone in the building covered their ears from the sound as windows shattered from the frequency. The doors were thrown open, making patrons scream in panic. Heavy footsteps were heard and Akane looked to find a strange monster that resembled a lion covered in black armor. She quickly ducked behind the counter when she found it turning its head towards her direction. She took hold of her sisters to keep them down.

"Nee-chan?" Kiku was quickly shushed by the older girl.

Akane looked at the two and noticed they were terrified at the sudden turn of events. She felt her shirt being pulled and looked at Tomoko who tightly clung onto her, her eyes squeezed shut in fear. "Tomoko..."

They covered their ears again when there was another roar. Kiku's eyes turned yellow and she looked up to find the lion in the air jumping in their direction. "Nee-chan! Ji-nee!" She tackled them to the side. They fell back when the monster landed, creating cracks on the floor.

Akane scrambled to her feet and lifted her sisters to their own. "We have to get out of here!" She took hold of their hands before leading them away, the monster following them out of the store.

"N-Nee-chan! Why is that thing chasing us?!" Kiku shouted as they ran.

Akane hesitated, unsure how to answer her sister. She let go of her younger sisters before reaching into her jacket pocket. "Keep running!" she ordered before pulling to a stop. The two took notice and stopped, worried for the older girl.

"Onee-chan!" Tomoko cried.

Akane ignored the two before taking out what looked like a ring. She slipped it onto her middle finger before flames engulfed her hand, shocking the two. The flames warped and turned into a giant pair of claws. "Stay away from my sisters!" she shouted before swiping at the monster. A large crescent of fire came from the claws and struck the monster, pushing it back as it screeched in pain.

Akane's breathing became heavy and she fell to one knee, the claws disappearing. "Onee-chan!" "Nee-chan!" The two rushed to her side but tensed when they heard growls. They looked at the monster again to find it on all fours, its eyes glowing red in anger. It leaned back before pouncing.

The eldest sister's eyes widened in fear before she took hold of her sisters in hopes to shield them. A loud screech was heard as the three found themselves safe. Akane slowly opened her eyes and looked back at the monster to find it on the ground, slowly turning into ashes. She heard heavy footsteps that sounded similar to metallic boots hitting the concrete and looked further from the monster, only to see a large robot with glowing blue eyes. Its right hand seemed to have been replaced by some sort of weapon that emitted blue light. It's left held a sword made of the same energy.

She looked at its face again. She blinked a few times, somehow recognizing it. "Hiro...?"

The two shakily looked up at the name and looked at the robot. It turned its weapons into hands before kneeling down to one knee, its right hand on its chest and its head bowed. "I apologize for the delay. But I am here to be of assistance."

Akane noticed someone moving from her hold and turned to find Tomoko missing. She heard a crash and looked back at the robot to find it tackled to the ground in a hug by her younger sister. She heard sobs coming from the girl as she hugged the robot.

"Hiro... Hiro..." she whimpered as she held the robot. "I thought you were gone, too..."

The robot carefully got up, not wanting to hurt the girl. He gently petted her head in comfort. "I'm here to help, Tomoko. Just leave it all to me." He looked at the other two who were too shocked to say anything. "I suppose it's best to bring you girls home and explain everything."

* * *

The robot guided the sisters into the basement of their home, a petite robot following them, worry evident on the screen used for its face. "Hiro. Are you sure it's really okay to tell them everything?" he asked, making the three suspicious.

"Considering they were just attacked, it's best to tell them," Hiro chided," You can get started on dinner if you're uncomfortable with telling them, Shichi."

"They're my sisters. The least I can do is give them moral support!" he whined, flustered of the robot's comment.

"Just explain yourself already," Akane snapped," What the hell was that thing and why was it after us? And why did you bring us to the basement of our own home to talk about it?"

The robot turned to her. "I apologize for that. But I must warn you. The information I'm going to give you is not for the faint of heart." He raised his arm to his face before removing a cap, revealing a few buttons and what could be a projection lens. He pressed a few of them before the ground started to shake a little, making the three hold onto each other for support.

A large hole opened up in the middle of the main room before a large table came up from under. Seats popped out from the sides in seven colors: red, blue, yellow, black, white, gold, and silver. Shelves popped out from the walls, revealing strange devices and equipment. Part of the far wall moved, revealing a metallic door. Screens made of glass came from the ceiling above the table, tightly locking to it.

The three looked at the room in shock. "I... did not expect that..." Kiku muttered as they looked at the new furniture.

"It's best if you three sit down while we explain the situation," Hiro said as he approached the table. A holographic keyboard appeared and he started to type. The girls looked at him before taking a seat close to each other. Akane sat in the center on the red seat, Tomoko to her left on the blue seat, and Kiku on Akane's right in the yellow seat. They jumped when information popped up on the screens in front of them, showing information of different varieties.

Akane saw something from the corner of her eye and instinctively reached her hand out at the screen, forcing the window to stay in the front. It showed photos of their parents and next to them were two figures in black and white spandex, their heads covered by strange helmets. She swiped at the window, showing information on the girls with similar suits but in their respective colors. She looked over at Hiro before swiping at the window again, making it move to the screen in front of the robot. "Explain this. Now." Her voice was quite harsh, seeing how the information was new to her.

The robot looked at her before giving a nod. "It's going to be long so it might take a while before I get to this portion." He pulled up a window that showed the monster they saw before as well as many others, a few of them darkened out. "The monster you saw before belongs to Nightshift. They're an army of monsters locked in what may be considered the Underworld. They have been an enemy to Earth and your family for generations. The reason is classified. Not even I have access to the information at the moment." He noticed Akane's eyebrow twitch in annoyance but decided to ignore it. He pulled up a photograph of a building, one the girls recognized as the sign near the top read "Mori Metals: Building the Future". "Your father founded the company before you were born to research ways on how to properly defeat them without risking the lives of those who fight against this enemy. He disguised it as a tech company to avoid public suspicion and only a select few of its staff know about what I'm telling you in order to assist you when needed."

He pulled up the window that Akane found. "Your parents were able to create super suits that were able to combat Nightshift as well as weaponry that can properly protect people from them. Only seven suits were made due to compatibility issues. Akane, let me see your ring."

The eldest looked at him and saw a conveyer belt appear on the table with a placeholder for the ring. She looked at her ring before taking it off, placing it on the stand and allowing it to go to the robot. He picked it up. "Weapons like these were fused with the powers of spirits that coincide with humans. Each spirit represents an animal and an element and only those who have made contact with those spirits are able to use them. Weapons such as this ring can only be activated by the person most compatible with it. This one was a prototype but stable enough to be used in an emergency. Your parents spent many years perfecting these to make sure you girls were ready to use them for when the time comes."

"So it's now, isn't it?"

Hiro gave a nod. "At first, your parents wanted to handle the situation by themselves. You girls were still young so it's too risky to let you fight monsters as dangerous as those belonging to Nightshift. It became more evident that you were unfit to take the roles three years ago. Things started to become shaky for the family, especially last year."

They all tensed at the mention of the incident. Akane hesitantly reached for her left shoulder as her gaze went to the table. Tomoko was tightly gripping the skirt of her uniform and the robot noticed she was quivering, her eyes turning to a mixture of blue and orange at the memory. Kiku remained silent but the way her eyes gained a yellow tint meant more than what she let out.

Shichi looked at the three in worry before at the large robot. "Hiro. We should stop for now. They're still recovering and-"

"Stop, Shichi," Akane ordered, her voice low yet firm. "This is something we need to know... Even if it hurts."

"Akane-sama..."

Hiro looked at the eldest sibling, aware that she knew a good majority of the situation compared to her sisters. He sighed. "Very well. But I must regret to inform you about the cause of their deaths. Last year, Nightshift was able to break the seal initially placed on them, leaving your parents to fight them off while you girls stayed home. It took all of their energy to recreate the seal, but it costed them their life to ensure your safety. The company was already informed on what to do if that were to happen and quickly blocked any news that would show their identities to the public to make sure you girls recover without worrying so much. Your father left your uncle in charge of the company to keep the project running in case Nightshift appears again, leaving you three to take care of it."

Akane slammed her hands against the table and stood up. "They died in an accident... They were just on their way home from a meeting and got caught in a terrorist attack..." she scowled as she glared at the robot. "That was what happened."

Hiro looked at her, his face unchanging, only angering the girl more. "Akane, I know it is a lot to take in but it's best to consider their reasons on sacrificing their lives. It was for your sake since your safety is of upmost priority."

"Yea, well so was our mental health. Tomoko was still recovering from the incident. She almost went crazy when we found them dead that night. She saw them die and we were too late to save them..."

"Which confirms they fought long and hard for the three of you. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep the enemy away since the seal was incomplete. Which is why we have no choice but to have you three fight when the seal breaks." He pressed a button, making three cuff-like bracelets appear onto the table from openings. They seemed to have been able to act as regular cuff bracelets but there were alterations to them. There was a type of lens on it and a single black stripe running around the colored bracelet.

Akane took hold of the red one and noticed some grooves. She looked over at Hiro, tightly gripping the bracelet. "You really expect us to follow orders like this and risk our lives to fight these monsters? My sisters are still kids, Hiro! You can't expect me to let them run into a battle that they should not be involved in!"

"Those were your parents' orders, Akane. But we will give those two a choice. This isn't just risking your life, it's also risking mankind. We will need as many people fighting as possible to properly counter Nightshift. The three of you are the only ones compatible with the suits given your special abilities. We're still looking for the others, but their abilities haven't shown themselves yet."

"You might be able to give them the choice but my answer is no. I have no problems fighting, myself, but I am not letting me sisters get caught in something this dangerous." She stormed out, making her sisters worried.

Shichi looked at the taller robot. "Hiro! You went too far!" he chided. "You know how Akane-sama is about this type of situation! At least be more considerate on how she feels about her sisters!"

"Their parents wanted to put this as their main priority no matter the consequences. We just have to wait for her to calm down before we put them in battle." He looked over at Tomoko and Kiku who were conflicted of the situation. "I'll let you two think it out. Talk to Akane once you make your decision."

* * *

Heavy footsteps echoed from a dark cave, the sound and force making water drip from the stalactites hanging above. Once the footsteps reached a large room, torches aligning the walls lit. At the center of the room stood a cauldron that emitted a dark purple flame.

The footsteps came to a halt when light hit the figure responsible. It seemed to have been a dragon that was able to stand on its hind legs. Blood red armor covered his black scales and his tail snapped against the floor. Large metal cuffs were strapped around his wrists, one of them connected to his sword by a chain.

He looked into the flames. "I see you have awakened as well, Master," he said," Although not completely. But no worries, we will find the power you seek and break the seal they've placed onto you." He turned to one of the many entrances. "Harpy. You may be light on your feet, but even I can hear your breathing."

A woman covered in blue feathers entered the room, brushing her turquoise hair behind her sharp ears and avoiding her horns. She folded her arms in annoyance as she tapped her talons against the ground. "Well it took you long enough to wake up, Dorgon," she hissed. "Given how you took the most of that attack."

"Could not be helped. There was a hint of anger those two have had towards me for some odd reason. Cannot seem to recall at the moment. But nonetheless, we should get to business."

There was a large grumble as the cauldron shook, making the two back away. Harpy furrowed her brows. "What? They have successors? I thought we've killed all of them!"

"Most likely not. The Clan is quite a secretive bunch, especially in recent years." Dorgon approached the cauldron again, only to see faint images of three sisters. "Intriguing. It appears we will be testing some children. Young ones who have yet to match the potential of those two."

"Hmph! As if that will scare us!"

"Now, now, Harpy. Let us see if anyone has made a move yet." The image started to change, showing the lion attack from earlier. "Oh? So the eldest has some form of power in her hold. And they have a companion."

Harpy looked at the image. "I guess so. Well they are just children. Probably better to hunt them down and get it over with." She turned to the entrance behind her. "Denfi! You've been summoned!"

A strange monster approached, the small lightbulb above his fish-like head swaying at each step. He knelt down to one knee and bowed to the two. "Pleased to be summoned, Dorgon-sama. Harpy-sama."

"We have a few pests in the way of our search. Have fun with them."

"Yes, Harpy-sama. I will make haste with these pests."

* * *

Kiku twirled a basketball on her finger as she sat in Tomoko's room with her older sister who was tightly hugging a teddy bear. She caught the ball in her hands before placing it on her lap. "Ji-nee, what do you think?" she asked, hoping the shorter girl would speak after so long. "I know you're scared. You shouldn't have to hide it."

Tomoko hesitated before going to her desk. She opened up the bottom most drawer and took out a book with a blank black cover. Kiku quickly took hold of her wrist, recognizing the book. "Ji-nee. Don't force yourself to look at it."

"I-I have to..." Tomoko pulled away before opening the book. She quickly flipped it to a page before showing it to her sister.

Kiku looked at it, taking hold of the book so her sister wouldn't look at it for so long. She noticed the page was covered in dark pencil marks as it depicted strange shadows and monsters that resembled dragons and other mythical creatures. She looked at her sister who was back on her bed, her head buried into the head of the bear. "Ji-nee..." She closed the book and went closer to the girl, only to hear soft sobs.

"I saw them... I saw them die... I saw those monsters, but I couldn't tell anyone... I was scared they'll attack us... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I kept a big secret... I'm so sorry..."

"Ji-nee!" Kiku dropped the book and took hold of her sister's shoulders. "You shouldn't blame yourself, Ji-nee! You were scared and had no choice. You drew that to get rid of that nightmare of our parents. Don't blame yourself just for being scared. I'm scared, too, but they did it to protect us from those monsters. We went through a whole year without worrying about those monsters." She pulled her sister into a tight embrace. "Just know you still have us and you don't have to be scared when we're around... We promised that, didn't we...?"

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

"You're such an idiot... Always crying like this..."

The two didn't seem to notice Akane leaning against the other side of the door connecting her room to Tomoko's. She tightly hugged her arms as she collapsed to her knees, trying to fight her tears that threatened to fall.

* * *

Hotaru rested her chin on her hand as she looked at her friend who sat across the table at the school café. "Akane. You've been moping all day. It's our first date after a month and here you are moping," she said, hoping to catch the girl's attention. "Mopey Puppy moping like she lost her favorite chew toy."

Akane let out a deep sigh. "Sorry about that, Ttaru. We're just trying to process some news we were given last night. News about our parents and what they want us to do for when they're gone."

Hotaru looked at the red-clad girl. "S-sorry... I didn't realize it was about that..." She leaned closer. "Are your sisters okay?"

Akane gave a nod. "They're fine. We have to give them time to think about it. I just don't want them to get into trouble after everything that's happened." She nervously fingered the bracelet she placed around her left wrist. "They've been through too much and I don't want this burden to be placed on them..."

"Hmm..." Hotaru carefully reached over and took hold of her friend's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze in comfort. "Well I'm sure it will be okay. I know they're still kids but they should be fine. They're old enough to do what they can to help you out."

"They're going to be in danger, especially Tomoko... I can't make that same mistake again, Hotaru. Kiku will find out soon enough before I can tell either of them. It's a really big risk."

The purple clad girl offered a gentle smile before carefully moving her fingers as if to play with her hands, carefully tracing circles with her thumb. "I think you should talk to them. You always hide your feelings for their sake. They've grown up now. Sure, it will take time to adapt, but… I prefer having you fight with them rather than risking it all by yourself… It would be too much to find out my best friend would die alone to protect everyone."

Akane looked at her friend before biting her lower lip in worry. She tightly held onto her hand. "I wish there was a way to not have risks… I really do…"

"I know…"

Akane couldn't help but to smile. "Would you mind being there while I talk to them? I really want my best friend with me to help you go through the tough parts."

Hotaru couldn't help but to laugh. "Of course. You've always trusted me with this kind of stuff. But tell me on the ride to your place. I want to know all of the details so I don't freak out at you in front of them."

"Okay."

"Okay… Now tell me why your bracelet is glowing. It's really weird."

"Hm?" Akane looked at her bracelet to find a pulsing blue glow coming from the black ring on her cuff. She quickly pulled away from her friend to fiddle with it, only to find a hologram of Hiro come from the projector. "H-Hiro."

Hotaru quickly moved her seat to her friend's side to look at the hologram. "Whoa… Did not expect that… Your dad's work?"

"Y-yea…" Akane looked at the robot. "What's wrong, Hiro?"

"I've been trying to call you for the twenty minutes. There's an emergency a few miles away from your location and your sisters already set out to handle it."

At this, Akane's eyes turned red and she stood up. "What?! Hiro! Send me the location! I'm on my way now!" She turned off the bracelet before running out of the café.

"W-wait! Akane!" Hotaru quickly swiped her card through the reader on the table before running after her friend. "Akane!" She took hold of her arm to stop her. "Calm down before you do something crazy!" She found herself pushed off.

"This is my sisters we're talking about! They're about to get themselves killed!"

Hotaru took hold of her shoulders. "Akane. Akane, look at me. Your wolf is coming out. Come on."

The girl's breathing became heavy as she looked at her friend. She seemed to have calmed down a bit when their eyes locked on each other. Hotaru gently stroked her arms in comfort. "They will be fine. You will be fine. How can you expect yourself to protect them if you freak out like this? Your parents trust you with them because you're responsible and know the most about them. Once you'll see them, protect them and then yell at them if you have to. Okay?"

"Ttaru…" Akane looked down before giving a nod.

Hotaru smiled before turning her friend around and give her a gentle push. "Tell me when you get home, okay? I'll be right over."

Akane couldn't help but to smile at her friend before giving a nod. She ran off. Hotaru watched her go, tightly folding her hands in worry.

* * *

Gunshots were heard from a parking deck as many cloaked monsters fell from the small bullets that struck them. Kiku hid behind a column when a few of the monsters fired at her. "Damn it! I thought this would be like the video games!" she quietly shouted to herself. She looked over at the column a few feet away from her to find Tomoko on the floor, tightly holding onto a sword Hiro gave her. She noticed her breathing was heavy and was close to having a panic attack given how there was an orange and purple glow coming from the smaller girl's eyes. "Ji-nee!"

She noticed some of the monsters approaching her sister. She readied the gun, steadying it before shooting more bullets. "Stay away from her!" She shot them down before running to her sister and lifting her into her arms. "I got you… I got you."

"Kiku-chan…" Tomoko tightly held onto her younger sister. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

"Shh. It's okay. Just breathe." Her eyes turned yellow and pulled Tomoko close before backing into the column. She slowly peeked her head out to find Denfi approaching, tapping his sword against his shoulder. She quickly turned back. "Shit… Of all things to appear, it has to be the baddie…"

"You kids can't hide forever!" Denfi called. He swung his sword, creating a large crescent of energy. Part of it struck the column, creating large sparks. The girls fell to their knees in fear.

Kiku tightly held onto Tomoko who shook in her arms. "Shh… I got you… I got you." She looked around, hoping she can find a way to escape. "Nee-chan…"

Her eyes turned yellow again and she looked over at the far end of the parking deck. She noticed a figure and squinted, trying to focus on the figure. She softly gasped when she recognized the person. "Nee-chan…"

"Shh!" Akane quietly snapped, hoping the monsters couldn't hear her from where she was standing. She reached into her pockets before taking out a few spoke bombs. She looked over at her sisters before giving them a reassuring nod. She tossed the bombs, making them roll closer to the monsters.

"Hm? What's this?" Denfi looked at them, only for white smoke to come out. "What the-?!"

Kiku quickly brought Tomoko to her feet before they ran to the exit. Akane took hold of the two before leading them to safety. "Come on!"

The smoke began to clear, making Denfi look around. "Hmph. They're just children. They shouldn't have gotten very far."

* * *

The girls stopped at a small park to catch their breath, tired from the running. Akane straightened herself before looking at her sisters. "Are you two crazy?! Running into a battle without any training or thought about how to fight that guy?! You could've been killed!"

"Either be killed or let fifteen others be," Kiku snapped as she stood up. "We're fine."

"No, you're not!" Akane was cut off when she was tackled into a hug. She looked down to find Tomoko crying into her shirt.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she cried as she held her older sister. "We just wanted to help… We just wanted to help…"

"Tomoko…" Akane looked over at Kiku who sat on the railings separating the swings from the large play area. She let out a sigh before gently pushing Tomoko away. "You two need to sit down. I want to make this quick before that thing finds us." She eased her sisters onto the swings, handing Tomoko a handkerchief to wipe her eyes with.

Akane situated herself on the railing to look at her sisters. "I want you two to listen to me. I know the three of us have training in some kind of combat, but it doesn't mean we can use it in this sort of situation so easily. Tomoko and I duel with other humans who know how to pull back. Kiku, you use simulations or shooting ranges so you were never shot at. This is a life or death situation that I did not want to put you two through because it would be too much for you. You can see how scary it is to go against an opponent who will do anything to kill. You're both too young, but if this really needs all three of us to fight, I want to make sure you girls are both up for it. That means that if anything happens, you have to fight for yourself and not always depend on me saving you at the last minute. This is a really big commitment. Understand?"

The two gave a small nod, their gaze towards the floor in guilt. Akane stood up before petting their heads. "I want you two to be safe. I can't have that if you're running into battles where you're cornered and about to be killed."

"We just wanted to help. Just like Tou-chan and Kaa-chan," Kiku said.

"So do I. But you're still a kid, Kiku. I want to make sure you grow up more before you can do this."

"But I want to."

"Are you sure? Look me in the eye and say you want to."

Kiku bit her lower lip in worry. That fight terrified her. It was the first time she was ever so scare of something she first had confidence in. But she has to prove herself to her sisters. Show that she can help the family in her own way without being babied by them all the time.

She looked up at her sister, her eyes yellow with lightning near her pupils. "I want to fight, Nee-chan."

Akane looked at her sister before giving a nod, sensing her fear but also her determination. "Okay." She knelt down in front of Tomoko. "Tomoko. Are you sure you want to do this? You just started catching up on kendo so you're still rough. And you're still sensitive."

Tomoko shook her head as tears fell. "I'm scared, Onee-chan… But I want to… I want to get stronger and help you… You're always helping me and watching me… I want to do the same for you…"

"Are you sure? It's a really big fear to tackle."

"I want to…" The smallest sister looked up to look at her sister in the eye, her eyes a mixture of blue and purple. "I really want to."

Akane took in a deep breath, nervous of that could happen if the small girl was left alone. She let out a sigh before nodding. "Okay. I trust you. Just remember to get over this fear, okay?" She pulled her sister into a hug. "If you're ever terrified, just say so. Think of Otou-san and Okaa-san and they'll tell you to be brave. Okay?"

"Okay…"

She pulled away, wiping away her sister's tears before looking at the two. "Let's try to get this over with as soon as possible. If you need any help, just call me. This is our first fight and I want to make sure you two come out of it alive. Got it?"

The two nodded at their sister's request. "Okay. Let's go and just follow my lead."

* * *

"Oh kiddies~ Come out come out wherever you are~" Denfi taunted as he chased away civilians with his footmen. "You can't hide forever!" He grabbed a man by his neck as he cowered. "Hmph. I'm sure those girls clearly don't mind if they lose just one of you." He raised his sword but found it knocked out of his hand by a bullet. "What?!"

A large claw made of flames appeared, taking hold of the man before pulling him away from the monster. He found himself landing in front of the girls. Tomoko knelt down to check his injuries. "Are you okay?" she asked, receiving a shaky nod. "Please run, okay?"

"Th-thank you!" He scurried off, allowing Tomoko to rise to her feet.

Akane took off her ring before putting it into her pocket, her gaze not leaving the monster. "Would you mind not terrorizing people right now?" she questioned," I have two kids to lecture and you're in the way."

Denfi looked at the three and smirked. "Well. I suppose you three have finally shown yourselves. I hope you behave this time and let me kill you." He snapped his fingers. "Teshitas!" The cloaked monsters came to a halt, facing the three and preparing to charge. "Get them." They charged.

"Follow my lead." Akane took hold of her Cuff before twisting the top ring, making a small click.

 _"Transform! Wolf!"_

The two looked at her before doing the same.

 _"Transform! Mouse!" "Transform! Rabbit!"_

 _" **Doubutsu Henshin!** "_ They snapped their Cuffs back into place before thrusting their left fist forward. Bright light came from their Cuffs, making Denfi and the Teshitas to back away.

The light morphed into the girls' respective animals before circling them, making their clothes morph into form-fitting spandex in their colors in two different shades. The top was a solid color with a lighter shade for the horizontal stripe around the chest. The same color would wrap around their upper arms to line up with the center stripe. Across their chests were chest plates designed as the profile of their respective animals, the ear covering their left shoulders. The straps holding it in place met on their backs were buckled with a heptagonal buckle with a seven-petal flower in the center - the family crest. The skirt matched the top but was split vertically and the center stripe was shorter and cut into patterns; Akane had sharp angles resembling a wolf's fangs, Tomoko's were round like bubbles, and Kiku's were sharp flower petals. Separating the two portions of their uniforms was a white belt and buckle. Underneath the skirt were leggings that matched the vertical stripes, allowing continuity as they stood. Their feet and calves were covered by knee-length boots in their colors.

Their helmets covered their heads in stripes matching their uniforms as well as the ears and snouts of their respective animals protruding, allowing them to resemble their animals more. Each of them have custom visors. Akane's were rectangular in shape but the centers of the top and bottom were pointed down to create a stern expression. Tomoko's was a curved semicircle to create a softer expression. Kiku's visor resembled a heart but instead of a point at the bottom, it was round to fit her helmet.

Akane swiped her hand over her Cuff, allowing flames to cover her hands. The flames soon hardened into a red cuff that covered her forearms and the back of her hands, her Cuff still visible over the new ones. Three sets of metal claws came from each of the Cuffs. She struck the claws against one another before going into an offensive stance.

" _A powerful fist powered by passion. The flaming spirit, MoriRed!_ "

Water surrounded Tomoko's right hand when she swiped it over her Cuff. It began to move from her hand to create a katana with a blade covered in ice. She twirled it in her hand to become comfortable with holding a real weapon before grasping the handle with both hands.

" _A gentle blade powered by kindness. The flowing spirit, MoriBlue!_ "

Kiku swiped her hand over her Cuff, summoning lightning that covered her hands. Large bolts appeared and she took hold of them, turning one into a short rifle and bayonet. She twirled the bayonet in her left hand before attaching it to her rifle.

" _A flashing bolt powered by instinct. The thundering spirit, MoriYellow!_ "

 _"Three warriors protected by spirits! Doubutsu Sentai!"_

 _ **"Moriranger!"**_

Denfi backed away at the sight. "Those masks…" he muttered. He looked at the Teshitas surrounding him before pushing one forward. "What are you standing there for?! Get them!"

The footmen charged at the three. Akane struck her claws together as she readied herself. "Kiku. See if you can hit them from here. Tomoko. You're with me." She struck her left claw onto the concrete. "Go!"

The two charged as Kiku readied her rifle, lightning surrounding it before concentrating at the tip of the bayonet. She pulled the trigger, releasing a lightning-charged bullet. It split into more bullets and struck the footmen, knocking them down and turning them into ashes. She looked at her weapon and jumped. "Oh, this is so much better than the one Hiro gave me!" She began to shoot more bullets.

Hiro shook his head as he watched the fight from the Base, able to hear what's going on. "That was the prototype."

Tomoko held up her sword to block a strike from one of the Teshitas. She pushed it off before striking it down, turning it into ash. "S-sorry!" She gasped when some of them circled her. She fumbled with her weapon before piercing the ground. The ground started to shake before large icicles came out of the ground, piercing the footmen. She pulled the sword out and looked at the destruction. "Sorry!"

"Tomoko. You don't have to apologize to the enemy."

"Just to expect from Ji-nee," Kiku teased from the earpiece built into the helmet.

Akane rolled her eyes at their scuffle before looking at the Teshitas surrounding her. "Canine Claw!" Flames surrounded her weapons as she swung at the ones closest to her, engulfing them in flames before turning to ashes. She looked at the claws. "Definitely stronger than the other ones," she thought before cutting some more down.

The girls made their final strike, destroying the rest of the Teshitas. They regrouped to face Denfi. "Way easier than before," Kiku muttered, her breathing heavy after using her bayonet when cornered by a few of them.

The fish-like monster scowled before releasing a beam from the bulb on his head, making them jump away to dodge. The beam struck a car, making it explode on contact. "Holy sh-!"

"Language!" Akane shouted, cutting her youngest sister short.

"What?! He just blew a car to smithereens!"

"Yeah, well it's three against one. Combination attack, girls!"

"R-roger!" The three charged at the monster who dodged and deflected their attacks, not noticing them landing in a formation around him.

 _"Canine Claw!"_ Flames surrounded Akane's claws again, only to take the shape of a wolf's paw with bare claws.

 _"Critter Blade!"_ The ice around Tomoko's blade started to melt, forming a moving water cloak around the metal.

 _"Rabbit Rifle!"_ Lightning gathered around Kiku's rifle before gathering at the center, more powerful than before. _"Lightning Shot!"_ She pulled the trigger, making her hands fly up from the recoil as a large lightning bolt came from her weapon.

 _"Rolling Wave!"_ Tomoko raised her weapon before swinging down, creating a large crescent of water.

The two attacks struck Denfi from behind, knocking him off his feet. "What the-?!" He stopped when he saw large flaming claws above him.

Akane raised her right hand. _"Flaming Strike!"_ She swung down at the monster, allowing the flames and her claws to strike through him. She shifted her left hand before performing an uppercut, throwing him into the air before he exploded.

The MoriRed's breathing became heavy as her clothes turned back to normal. Her eyes seemed to have been glowing red before turning back to their usual brown. "It's over…" she muttered to herself.

"Onee-chan!" "Nee-chan!" She was thrown backwards when she found herself tackled into a hug by her sisters. She soon heard soft sobs and looked at them to find them crying in her arms. She softly smiled and petted their heads in comfort.

"You two did good…" she said quietly, soothing them.

* * *

"What?! How can beginners like them defeat one of our own?!" Harpy hissed as the tow looked into the flames.

Dorgon rested his hand on his chin in thought. He stepped away from the flames as he pictured the three girls. "Perhaps we should continue keeping an eye on them, Harpy. Surely testing them will give us a clue to how we can revive our Master."

* * *

Hiro looked at the three sisters who were sprawled out in the living room. Akane and Kiku were on both of the couches and Tomoko resting on the coffee table after attempting to start her homework. "I hope the three of you have learned a lesson today."

"We don't need another lecture today, Hiro," Kiku muttered, her voice muffled by the couch pillow. "I'm already exhausted after surviving that thing and Nee-chan's lecture."

 ** _Flashback_**

 _Tomoko and Kiku flinched when they were smacked upside the head when they finally managed to calm down. "That was way too reckless! You should have come to me to tell me you wanted to fight so you wouldn't be shot at!" the MoriRed shouted as she faced the two. "Kiku! You're still a child! You still need my permission to do reckless stuff like this! And Tomoko! I know you're still recovering and you're smaller, but you're the older one of the two of you! At least try to stop your sister and talk it out! Call me beforehand because you almost had one of your fits!"_

 _"We're sorry…" They flinched when they were hit again._

 _"Sorry is not going to cut it this time! Do you know how frustrated I am knowing that I had to run all the way over here from my school to save your butts?! Look at me!"_

 _The two shakily looked at their sister in the eye and froze when they saw her irises red with flames near her pupils. They quickly looked down, having seen it only once before when they were children._

 _"We were lucky enough that we were able to defeat that monster for our first try! We probably won't be lucky next time so you better pull your weight and attend extra training sessions! Understand?!"_

 _"Y-yes, ma'am…"_

 _Akane let out a small groan as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "What am I going to do with you two now that we're fighting monsters…? Of all things…" She looked at the two before going behind them, pushing them forward. "We are going home and we are going to make that training schedule. No complaints. Got it?"_

 _"Got it…"_

 _ **End Flashback**_

"There are plenty more Ningengata appearing after today, especially now that they know you're here to fight them."

"I don't want to fight another one for the next few days…" Tomoko whimpered from the soreness. "Onee-chan is already pushing us to train more after this…"

Shichi hovered into the room with drinks and ice packs for the three. "You're all just starting out. It's best to be patient for your bodies to get used to it," he chided, only to receive a collected groan in response. "Oi!"

Akane sat up before rubbing her head in annoyance. "Whatever. Let's just get started on that training." She looked over at Hiro. "I suppose the Base has some simulators for us?"

The large robot gave an affirmative nod. "I shall prepare them right away."

"Thanks." She stood up before taking hold of her sisters. "Come on. Let's get to work. We have lives to save."

The two looked at her before standing up, following their sister as a newfound determination shone in their eyes.

* * *

 _ **A/N: And that concludes chapter 1! It is quite a lengthy chapter and the length per chapter may fluctuate depending on what happens and how significant they are to the plot. Fight scenes are one of my biggest weakness so those are not going to be as long as the dramatic parts between our heroines, and the designs are subject to change for the Moriranger suits so there may be inconsistencies.**_

 _ **Now for the translations!**_

 _ **Onee-chan and Nee-chan are often used when referring to an older sister. The "O" can be dropped much like other titles. Children can also use these when referring to girls older than them (typically seen between young children and teenagers/young adults)**_  
 _ **Ji-nee is a term referring to an older sister but if you have two older sisters, it is used for the second olders. This term was used in "Mahou Sentai Magiranger" by MagiRed because he has two older sisters.  
Otou-san and Papa are used to refer to a father, and Okaa-san and Mama are used to refer to a mother. It can also be changed to "Tou-chan" and "Kaa-chan". iirc, girls typically don't use the latter and they're mostly used by boys. Kiku uses it because of her tomboyish personality.  
"-san" is a common honorific in Japan and are typically used when talking to other people and creates a sense of formality, especially when used with the last name. You will mostly see Tomoko using this honorifics with those around her even if they are a close friend when the honorific is typically dropped.  
"-chan" is used as a form of endearment and is most commonly used for and by girls. Tomoko uses this for Kiku and maybe a few other characters in later chapters. "-kun" is also used but mostly for boys. All three will be using them in a future chapter for a male character. A teacher can also use the honorific for a female student in some situations so you might see it in a later chapter.  
**_

 _ **I think that's about it. Other translations will come in future chapters but I will wait until then. In typical Sentai shows, the beginning few episodes will be focusing on each individual team member. This chapter focused more on Akane and the next will be either Tomoko or Kiku. Please look forward to it!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Short disclaimer: I do not own Super Sentai or any of its characters.**_

 ** _Before you begin reading, I'd like to warn those who may be triggered by some of the content that can be seen in the first half of the chapter. It involves bullying and post trauma towards one of the characters so be warned. Now let's go on with this chapter._**

* * *

Bed sheets and blankets rustled as a small figure tossed and turned in her sleep, sweat rolling down her forehead and her breathing heavy from the nightmare she's having.

 _"You're the worst!"_

 _"Well hello there, little princess."_

 _"Mama… Papa…"_

 _"Tomoko! Stay with us!"_

 _"It's a good thing you reached her before anything happened."_

 _"Tomoko! Put that thing down!"_

 _"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"_

 _"Wait! Don't leave!"_

She jerked up into a sitting position, her eyes glowing violet as she breathed heavily. She felt something slowly crawl up her throat and quickly covered her mouth. She looked around to find herself still in her bedroom. She carefully pushed her blankets off of her before slowly getting out of bed, only to step on crumpled up pieces of paper. She weakly walked over them before turning on her bedroom lights and opening the door, finding the light almost comforting in the dark night. She looked out into the hallway and made her way to the bathroom.

She fell over the toilet bowl before she emptied out her stomach, unable to bear the burning sting in her throat any longer. She wasn't sure how many times this has happened, but she knew it wouldn't be the last. That nightmare would always come to her no matter sporadically or consecutively. The longest time that she has dealt with it was a whole month and not being able to sleep or eat properly. She could feel it hanging over her every day. The way her mind wandered, the burning scratches of the ropes, even the red eyes that always haunted her. Those unnatural yet evil eyes that has haunted her for over three years.

She weakly got to her feet, pressing a button on the wall panel and allowing what used to be in her stomach disappear. She made her way to the sink to clean out her mouth, the mere taste reminding her of that fear she never wanted to feel again or to see.

A knock soon came to the door, making her tense in fear as her eyes turned orange from the sudden sound. She shakily moved her hand to whatever she could see as a weapon. A toothbrush, a comb, anything that could be sharp with enough force. She froze when a hand rested on her head.

"Hey. It's just me," a voice soothed. The hand started to stroke her head in a gentle and comforting manner.

Her hands fell onto the counter and she could feel the tears in her eyes upon recognizing the voice. One that was soft and kind and always there to bring her out of her fits.

The hand pulled away before turning into arms that wrapped around her neck, a head leaning against hers to create a hug. "You okay?"

She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks and falling into the sink. Soft sobs escaped her lips as this person continued to comfort her. "It's okay… I'm here. You don't have to be afraid anymore. Let's head back to sleep. I'll keep the light on if you want."

And with just those words, she collapsed.

* * *

A frying pan sizzled as Kiku poked the fried egg with her chopsticks, checking to see if they're done. "Hmm… They're still uncooked here…" She carefully mixed around the cooked egg whites, allowing it all to cook while she waited.

"Kiku-sama. It should be done by now," Shichi said as he organized the lunch boxes he prepared for the girls. "You can take it off."

"Okay~" The MoriYellow lifted the pan to move the egg onto a plate. She noticed the time on the clock nearby. "Hm?' She set the pan back down before looking out the doorway where she had a clear view of the stairs. "Nee-chan! Ji-nee? Are you guys sleeping in?" she called, only to not receive an answer. She pouted when she didn't receive an answer. "I'm going to scramble your eggs if you don't come out for breakfast!"

There wasn't a verbal response from either of her sisters, but she found herself hit upside the head. "Ow!" She held the spot that was struck and turned to find Akane who was ready to go.

"You don't have to yell so much, Kiku," she chided, taking the finished plate to the table. "You can eat and go ahead first. I'm going to drop Tomoko off today."

Kiku's eyes turned yellow, hearing a small change in tone from her eldest sister. She lowered the flame on the stove before going to the older girl's side. "Did she have one of those nightmares again?" she questioned. This only received a small nod in response. The MoriYellow let out a small groan. "To think she would have them again…"

"We just started fighting a few days ago, Kiku. You should have seen this coming when it comes to her." She pushed pass her younger sister towards the stove, cracking an egg for herself. "Just have to keep an eye on her."

"And you think it's okay for her to go to school after she has a nightmare?"

Akane flipped the egg. "I know a few people. Plus." She held up her left hand to show her Cuff. "This thing can give us a warning if something happens to her. Increased heart rate, overuse of our healing abilities, anything that would be considered dangerous."

Kiku looked at her before at her own Cuff. "Wait… These things do that?"

"For emergencies."

Small footsteps came from the staircase, making them turn to find Tomoko in her school uniform, her duffle slung over her shoulder. They noticed her eyes were a mixture of blue and purple as she avoided their gaze. Kiku walked up to her, making her tense. She let out a small sigh before helping her fix her tie.

"Call us if you're having trouble, Ji-nee. Can't have you going to school like this. Did you pack extra?"

Tomoko gave a small nod as she tugged on the strap of her duffle. Kiku moved on to help fix the buttons of her navy blazer. She gently patted the smaller girl's shoulders. "Eat, okay?"

"O-okay…"

* * *

Tomoko stuffed her duffle into the small cleaning closet at the back of the room, relieved she's the one on cleaning duty for the morning so no one can catch her stuffing it. She was lucky she was able to bring a spare pair of white slippers, a common event where many pairs have been ruined or destroyed after she leaves school grounds. She let out a sigh before readjusting her schoolbag over her shoulder.

A hand tapped her shoulder, making her jump a little. She turned to find a boy wearing the military-like school uniform used for the male students. His hair was slightly ruffled as if he just woke up and his brown eyes showed concern when he saw her orange ones. She backed into the locker, trying to steady her breathing before looking at him again.

"You okay, Tomoko?" he asked, receiving a shaky nod. He held out his hand and looked at her, unsure what she would say given her reaction. He let his hand fall to his side before nodding his head to the desks. The girl gave a small nod before making her way to a desk that was covered in scratch marks near the front of the class. He took his seat a few desks away from her when he found her unpacking her books. His phone vibrated in his pocket.

 _Watch her today, okay? She's shaky today._

His eyes lowered in worry at the text message, understanding what the sender meant. He looked up when he heard a crash, only to find Tomoko curled up on her desk with her arms covering her head, a group of girls surrounding her. One of them had her hand slapped against the MoriBlue's desk. He quickly got to his feet when he found her shaking. "Oi!" He stopped when a few of them stood in his way.

"Back off, Takahashi. We just want to talk to your teammate," the leader said, pretending to be innocent.

"Leave her alone. She's already scared," he said," Isn't that enough?"

"Aw~ And you think I'm just here to scare her? That's quite mean of you, Satoshi-kun."

The group burst into giggles at the taunt. The boy glared at them until they heard a slam at the podium. They turned to the front to find the homeroom teacher at the podium, his eyes sharp behind his glasses. "I suggest you all take your seats before more of your classmates show up," he said," You, too, Takahashi."

"Y-yes, sir." Satoshi shot the girls another glare before going back to his seat, only to find the group not moving.

The teacher cleared his throat, making the girls scramble to their seats. More students started to fill the room, two of them slipping a piece of paper onto Satoshi's desk before going to their seats. He opened it to find a note.

 _Anything happen before Sensei came in? We saw them going into the room and heard the slam._

He looked back towards two girls seated in the back of the room, their gaze discreetly on him. He looked back at the front when the teacher started roll call. He reached over to his ear, scratching it. He didn't see it but he was sure there were relieved smiles on their faces, catching his signal.

* * *

A loud splash and laughter was heard before a group of girls left the bathroom, making the students immediately move to the sides of the hallway when they heard their cackle. Tomoko sat in the stall, soaking wet and shivering. Tears started to fall as she tightly gripped the end of her soaked skirt, choking back the sobs that threatened to escape.

A small knock came to the door, making her jump. She heard another one but at the top of the stall door, making her look up. Her eyes turned yellow when she saw her duffle, turning orange in fear of what the person would do to her belongings. She found it thrown in her direction, making her scramble to catch it. She heard rhythmic tapping against the door. It almost sounded like Morse Code.

 _Get changed. Take your time._

She looked at the door in confusion before opening up her bag, finding everything inside intact. She heard footsteps that faded and heard the door closing, allowing her to start changing. She was about to place her dirtied clothes into her duffle but found a small note inside. She shakily took hold of it, unfolding it.

 _KC_

Her eyebrows furrowed at the initials, unsure what it meant. She heard the bell and quickly placed everything into her duffle and running out of the bathroom, not wanting to be late to class. She stopped when she found Satoshi waiting in the hallway.

"T-Takahashi-san…" She looked down, tightly gripping the straps of her bag. "Y-you're going to be late…" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Got a note from someone. Said there was an emergency in the bathroom and to check up on you."

"You didn't have to."

"But I wanted to." He walked up to her before resting a hand on her head, aware that was the safest spot to touch her. "You need someone to help you with these types of situations, Tomoko. You can't just sit by and take all of it. It's already been a year and nothing has been done. There's only so much the teachers can do to make sure nothing can happen to you."

"I know you want to help… But sneaking into the girls' bathroom will not help. I just… I just need to be alone… Okay…?" She brushed pass him before going back to class. She ignored the snickers from her classmates but flinched when she heard the teacher clearing his throat.

"Tanaka. You're late."

"P-please excuse me, Kurozawa-sensei…" she said quietly. She noticed he held his hand out, making her hesitate. She slipped her duffle off her shoulder before holding it out to him. He took hold of it, being careful not to touch her in the process.

"Talk to me after class about this. Understand?"

"Y-yes, sir…" She walked to her desk, only to find marker and glue stains. Finding no time to clean it, she took out a few pieces of paper to lay down and opened up her books. Her eyes turned orange as she found large pencil scratches on the workbooks and notes.

 _Loser._

 _Freak._

She closed the workbook and scrambled to find any blank paper to write on. Her hands started to shake when she heard more snickers and giggles behind her. She froze when someone poked her back. "Something wrong, Tanaka?" the girl sneered quietly from behind.

She covered her mouth and forced herself to swallow, not wanting to have another fit so soon.

* * *

Dorgon stared into the flames, quietly listening to the crackle as it showed Tomoko throughout her day. He stroked his chin in thought, curious on how a girl like her would work in a team that would defy such villainous creatures such as Nightshift. A darkness that came from her that he has never seen before in his countless battles.

"Moakumu," he called," Come forward."

Footsteps were heard as another animal-like monster appeared. His head resembled that of a rhinoceros but the rest of his body was covered with a maroon robe and a piece of chest armor. "You called?" he asked, kneeling down to one knee with his sword dug upright into the soil.

"I would like for you to run some tests for me. Lure out the Clan and see if you can find one of them that will easily fall into your specialty. Return once you've retrieved enough information to your liking."

"Understood, Dorgon-sama."

* * *

Moakumu landed on a rooftop of a high rise building, looking out into the plaza and streets below him. He knelt down for a closer inspection as his green eyes glowed red. The people within his scope turned into small flecks of red and blue light.

"My colleagues always have fun when it comes to bringing terror by slicing and pounding. A shame they don't seem to understand true fun when it comes to hidden terror."

His horn began to glow an ominous purple before many beams came from the tip, striking those that gave off a red light.

"Yes, honey. I will definitely pick up the groceries before I come home," a salaryman said as he walked through the streets. He smiled at the response, not noticing the beam that struck his head from behind. "Of course. I don't mind buying extra for your parents."

 _Pathetic._

 _What is this trash?!_

"Hm?" He lowered his phone and looked around, a strange purple tint in his eyes. His hand went to his head as he felt a small pain. He rubbed his eyes and looked up when the pain subsided. He froze when the people around him turned into different ones, all of them shouting at him.

 _I told you to finish these before you left!_

 _We're already short on rent money!_

 _You should have studied harder. Now look at you._

He let out a scream and fell to his knees, covering his ears. "No… NO!" His phone fell out of his hands as he tried to shake off all of the words thrown at him.

 _"Honey? Are you there? Hello?"_ his wife called from the other side of the call.

* * *

Shichi jumped at the sudden alarm that rang through the house. "Gah! A Nightshift sighting!" He quickly made his way to the Base where Hiro was waiting, security footage playing in front of him before calling the girls.

"There seems to be some kind of riot caused by the Ningengata," he said," We're still looking for him so be prepared."

 _"Roger!"_ Akane and Kiku said before hanging up.

* * *

The two made their way to the main plaza where they found many people on the ground screaming or fighting each other. Kiku looked at them, confused of the issue. "What the heck…?"

Before Akane could say anything, the two heard snarls as Teshitas appeared around them. "Talk later. We have business to take care of."

 ** _"_** _Transform! Wolf!" "Transform! Rabbit!"_

 ** _"Doubutsu Henshin!"_**

* * *

Tomoko jumped when she heard the alarm coming from her Cuff. She looked at it to find the black band glowing red.

"Tanaka?"

She looked up at her teacher who sat at his desk in the staff room. He looked at her, noticing the look in her eyes. He let out a sigh before writing her a note. "Let us know if anything else happens. Stay home for the rest of the day and I'll tell everyone to give Takahashi your homework. Understood?"

"Y-yes, sir." She gave a bow before taking her leave, relieved she doesn't have to spend the rest of the day at school. She turned a corner before looking at her Cuff again, a map coming out of the projector with the location of the Ningengata. She took in a deep breath and smacked her cheeks. _"Focus… I have to focus…"_

* * *

Kiku slashed down another Teshita as the two finished them off. "Good thing we got those guys taken care of before Ji-nee arrives," she sighed, resting the base of her rifle against her shoulder.

"Yeah, well we have to figure out what that Ningengata can do before she gets here," Akane said as she looked around in search of the monster. "Something about him must have set those people into fights."

Moakumu looked on at the top of a building, tapping his head with his fingers in boredom. "Hmph. I barely see anything amusing if I see those two fighting. The Teshitas said there should be three so I'm guessing that tiny one is late."

"Onee-chan! Kiku-chan!"

"Hm?" He looked around before spotting a blue figure running towards the two. "Guess that's her." His eyes glowed as he focused his sight on the smallest member. He noticed a red aura around her compared to her teammates' blue. He smirked. "Interesting." His horn began to glow before releasing a beam that struck Tomoko's helmet.

The girl noticed her vision blurred for a moment as her hand went to her head. _"What…? What's happening…?"_

"Ji-nee?" Kiku took hold of her arm when she noticed it looked like the MoriBlue might collapse. "You okay?"

Tomoko shook her head to shake off the weird feeling before feeling a tight grip on her arm. She looked at it to find a clawed hand and froze, her heartrate rapidly increasing as her gaze slowly went up the arm and towards the face. The only thing that struck her the most were the eyes. Red ones.

She let out a bloodcurdling scream as a sudden pulse of energy escaped from her, knocking her sisters back several feet. She fell to her knees as her arms covered her head. It couldn't be possible. He shouldn't be here so why now? Why now after having that horrible nightmare of him?

"Tomoko!" Akane got to her feet and ran to her sister's side. She was knocked back by some sort of energy barrier. "What the…?" She looked at her sister and noticed a dark aura slowly coming from her. Her eyes widened in horror. "Oh my God…" She quickly raised her Cuff. "Hiro, look at all of the security cameras! That Ningengata is hiding somewhere and he did something to her! Hurry before she completely loses it!"

* * *

Hiro typed on the computer, searching for the monster. He zoomed in on the map to find a faint image and abnormal energy reading. "Akane, he's in the building directly northeast. Shoot him down and hopefully it will stop."

* * *

Akane looked around, trying to spot the Ningengata. Her eyes turned red, focusing on the roof in question. "Kiku! Shoot right there!" She pointed, making her sister look.

 _"Lightning Shot!"_ Kiku fell back from the recoil but they heard the bullet making contact.

Moakumu fell off the building but scrambled to his feet. "Tch. Guess you've found me." He looked at Tomoko and smirked. "Well at least I managed to know a little more about you girls." He disappeared.

They looked over at Tomoko who was on the ground crying, her transformation disappearing and turning back into her school uniform. "Tomoko!" Akane ran over to her, finding the barrier gone. She fell to her knees and changed back into her hoodie and jeans to look at her sister. She reached out but stopped when she almost grabbed the MoriBlue's shoulders. She rested a hand on Tomoko's head. "Shh. We're here. Come on, snap out of it," she soothed. "Come on. Look at me."

Tomoko shakily raised her head, her irises a mix of orange, blue and purple. Once she saw her sister's face, she pulled the older girl into a hug. "Onee-chan…" she whimpered.

Akane wrapped her arms around the girl, giving her a tight squeeze in comfort. "I'm here… Don't worry, I'm here."

Kiku knelt down next to the two, resting a hand on Tomoko's back before joining the hug. "We got you…" She looked up at Akane who gave a hesitant nod, knowing something must have happened to their sister for her to freak out in such a way.

* * *

Akane walked down into the Base from upstairs. "Just managed to put her to sleep. Did you guys find anything?"

Hiro pulled up footage from a few security cameras that showed Moakumu and Tomoko. The two girls noticed a beam coming from the Ningengata that struck their sister. "What the hell is that?" Kiku asked," We never saw that when she ran up to us."

"Mental Projection." He pulled up another window that showed data on the monster. "According to the data that has been updated over the years, this Ningengata specializes in illusions that focuses on negative energy coming from his victims. Usually it is fear or anger depending on the severity and what he finds."

"And with anger, the victims will begin fighting each other without realizing who they're hitting," Akane concluded," And with fear…" She folded her arms as she bit her lower lip, not wanting to finish her sentence.

"Fear can turn people into Tomoko."

"H-Hiro!" Shichi chided, whacking the taller robot over the head with his tray. The large robot seemed unfazed by the attack.

"It's fine, Shichi. He's right," Kiku said, tightly hugging her arms. "We just didn't expect something like… _that_. But what was that, anyway? I can understand if water shot out of her but that? A-and a barrier? What the hell is that?"

"It only happens when she falls that deep into her fear, Kiku," Akane said," You're lucky you only saw it once."

Kiku looked at her eldest sister, her eyes yellow in shock. "Once? You mean this has happened before?" She noticed the MoriRed reached for her left shoulder with her right hand, tightly gripping it in worry. "Nee-chan… Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was better if you didn't. At least that was what we thought before we were attacked by the enemy. She wouldn't have had all of those fits if those idiots didn't show themselves again."

"And you didn't tell me until now? When I just witnessed her losing control of whatever the hell that was?"

"Language." She let out a small sigh. "Kiku, I will explain everything in due time. What we have to do right now is figure out how to defeat this Ningengata. Hiro. Any idea why he didn't hit us with those illusions before Tomoko got to us?"

The robot looked back at the screen, trying to calculate possible reasons. "Only possible explanation would be how your fear and anger were hidden more than Tomoko's." He pulled up a screen that had a graph of the girls' heartrates throughout the day. "Hers have been fluctuating a lot the entire day before the enemy appeared. This is normal given her issue at school, but it's rather severe compared to previous readings. Did something happen last night?"

The two looked at each other before back at the robot, giving a small nod. "She… had a nightmare. A really bad one that has haunted her."

"If that has been weakening her mental stability, what she saw in that nightmare may have surfaced in those illusions. Having it in front of her in a lifelike form would have caused her to break down more than she usually would."

"Oh my God…" Kiku tightly hugged her arms, knowing she was the one who grabbed her sister's arm. Any physical contact, especially forceful ones, would have set her off. She would have been fine if it was her family and she was aware it was them, but she didn't see the MoriYellow grabbing hold of her. "I set her off…"

Akane took hold of Kiku's shoulder. "Don't blame yourself. We didn't even know that she was under his influence. If she wasn't, she would have seen you and be fine. Give me time and I'll talk to her. If she's ready, you do the same. Okay?"

"Y-yea… Sure…" Kiku looked at her older sister, her eyes gaining a yellow tint. "You sure she'll be okay if I see her?"

"She'll be fine."

* * *

"I see… So she is hiding something," Dorgon mused after hearing Moakumu's report.

"Please forgive me, Dorgon-sama. Although I can bring my targets' worst fears to life in their eyes, my abilities do not allow me to know what they see. The Master's rules have prevented me from being able to do such a task."

"No need to fret. But you have triggered something interesting in those three. See if you can lure out the little one and try again. See how far your illusions can push her. Surely the pain she releases will satisfy our hunger for the time being."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Tomoko's eyes snapped open and she quickly sat up, her eyes darting around the room in panic.

"Tomoko. Tomoko, I'm right here."

She turned to find Akane sitting on the edge of the bed, probably waiting beside her the entire time. "O-Onee-chan…" She looked down, shakily reaching for the gold locket around her neck. She carefully rubbed her thumb against the engraving on the back that consisted of the family name and small flowers. A small trick their mother taught her as a child in case she were to feel scared or alone.

"You want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "I… I need some sleep…"

"You're going to have that nightmare again. You just got out of a really bad breakdown so it will be hard for you to avoid it if you don't talk." Akane scooched closer, resting her hand on the bed and leaning closer to the girl, making sure there's enough room for her to breathe properly. "What happened in school? Just a few words."

Tomoko's free hand tightly gripped her blanket, her gaze not leaving the floral pattern. She recalled everything that happened at school, unsure if her words will make sense to the MoriRed.

"Tomoko."

She bit her lower lip before taking in a shaky breath. "Shoes… Desk… Bathroom… Desk… Books…"

Akane furrowed her eyebrows, trying to think of scenarios for each word. Shoes: shoe locker was vandalized and she had to stuff her loafers into her duffle along with the ruined white slippers. Desk: also vandalized but perhaps something else happened for her to mention it twice. Bathroom: either water thrown over the stall door, throwing up, having her head dunked into the toilet, or a combination of any of them. Books: vandalized and barely usable.

"Anyone do anything about it?" The small girl shrugged. Some but not all. "How did you change your clothes?"

"KC…"

KC. A set of initials that only the MoriRed recognized. It didn't match any of the girls in Tomoko's class but most likely a combination of two. A pair that would never reveal themselves to the MoriBlue due to personal reasons that have yet to be disclosed. What they were doing to help didn't change the fact that the bullying continued, but it was able to bring some relief to the older girl.

"What about the teachers?"

"Early arrival… Early leave…"

The first she knew was caused by KC. After the incident three years ago, Tomoko refused to leave the house and locked herself in her room for the majority of the day. It took some coaxing for her to return to school after their parents' deaths due to how she was able to recover enough to speak to people outside of the family. Akane took it upon herself as her guardian to explain to the teachers about the situations and look out for her whenever possible. She had to thank the family company for having some kind of pull on the schools. Donations for competitive clubs as well as providing services such as training simulators gave Akane a little control over her sister's safety. If any of the teachers are informed of something happening in the classroom, they would arrive early. If it feels like a student is in distress from their peers, they were given permission to leave early. The biggest issue would be what would happen when the teachers are not present in the classroom or hallways. She considered having Satoshi escort her sister through the halls, but it would only make Tomoko more uncomfortable even if he was her friend. Having him watch her in the classroom between classes and during study hall would be no problem, but he also has friends of his own to talk to. All of those openings made it easy for bullies to hunt.

Akane and Kiku always stressed about Tomoko needing to stand up for herself, but knew it will take more time for her to build up the necessary courage. It would have been about now that she would fight back if it wasn't for her constant fear of being attacked or reminded of her trauma. They would have taken it up to the school faculty and file a report, but the bullies were infamous for feigning innocence to the adults around them. Even their parents would go to their defense against the Tanaka family's claims. It angered Akane enough to take it into her own hands. If she were to ever find her sister attacked by bullies, she would often use her own combative skills to fend them off enough for them to back off for a while. She knew it won't stop them, but she wanted her sister to survive her last few years in school before she can move away and attend college in an area that wouldn't judge her for who or what she is.

 _"God, if only this stupid school year would end already and I can deal with those idiots…"_ she thought to herself angrily.

"Onee-chan…?"

Akane was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard her sister call out to her. "Yeah?"

"Am I a freak…? Like they all say I am…?"

"Why would you think of yourself like that?"

"Because… My eyes are weird… Every time I get hurt, it disappears… I can hear and see things no one else can… I can even hurt people without realizing… I don't know what I am anymore…"

"Hey. Don't say that." Akane got closer before cupping Tomoko's face in her hands in comfort. "Look at me, okay?" She gave her sister a reassuring smile when their eyes met. "Tomoko. You're anything but a freak. Okaa-san told you that, didn't she? Otou-san, too. Besides, Kiku and I are similar. My eyes turns red and hers turns yellow. We can also see and hear things. Our family is just different from everyone."

"Then why us…? Why do only three of us have these powers…?"

Akane felt a lump in her throat at the question, not wanting to lie. But given how she has no choice, she had to find a way to comfort her sister without telling her what she knows. "I'm not sure, myself… But I do know that we are using them to fight this enemy. What we're doing with our powers is protecting people, not hurt them. They don't know who we are but at least they know they can be protected."

"Why can't we tell them…? They'll stop picking on me if they know…"

"Hey. Don't say things like that. Who cares what they think? The only thing you should care about is that you're a strong girl, Tomoko. You're strong and you have people that care about you. Me, Kiku, Ttaru, Takahashi. Even Ojii-chan and Obaa-chan in Kyoto. Just remember that you're loved and know that that will give you the strength to fight. You have survived so much to reach this moment. You can't give up now."

"But I don't want to fight… I'm too scared…"

"I know you are… That's why I want you to tell us if you have any problems. Kiku and I will always be here for you. Otou-san and Okaa-san are always watching us and they want us to be happy. Understand?"

"Y-yes, but-"

"Tomoko. I don't want to hear anymore buts from you. If it feels like you have to stay out of our fights with Nightshift, tell me. If it feels like you can't go to school or work, tell me. You don't have to suffer alone. I've told you this so many times and I don't want you to break down from fighting so much. Okay?"

"O-okay…"

"Okay. I'm going to go get Kiku, okay? She wants to talk to you and help." She let go and stood up, only to find her arm grabbed.

"I saw him… The one who took me… But… He looked different…"

Akane looked at her before sitting back down. "Different? Different how?"

Tomoko shook her head. "I-I don't know… In my… In my dreams, he always wore gloves… But today… it looked like a monster was holding me… I knew it was him but it didn't look like him…"

Akane paused to think. If the image suddenly shifted to that of a monster in a sense, there had to be some kind of connection. But what?

"I'll talk about it with Hiro tonight. But for now, I want you to talk to Kiku. If you want to wait until tomorrow, that's fine."

"Can we go somewhere tomorrow…?"

"Of course. Anything to help you get your mind off of it. We'll be there to protect you, okay?"

"Okay…"

* * *

Kiku quietly groaned to herself as she walked to school with Tomoko, Akane trailing behind them to keep an eye out. It was actually awkward given the height difference. She was about to enter her second year of middle school soon but she's already at a height of 160 cm which was really tall for girls her age. Her older sister is approaching her second year of high school but she still remained the height of 148 cm for the past two years, making the MoriYellow tower over her like an older sister sometimes.

Her nose twitched and she stopped, finding a faintly sweet smell coming from somewhere. "Kiku-chan?" She turned at the call to find Tomoko looking at her, confusion and worry evident in her eyes.

"Ah. Sorry about that." She soon spotted a bakery. "Ji-nee. You want to stop by in there? We can have something to drink since we still have time."

"Eh?"

* * *

Kiku gently split a danish in her hands before holding half out to Tomoko. "Here. Your share."

Tomoko looked at it as she held onto her tea cup. "Eh?" Before she could object, her younger sister already placed it in her hands, the pastry delicately wrapped in a napkin. "K-Kiku-chan-" She panicked when the MoriYellow split her own share in half to give to Akane. "K-Kiku-chan!" she protested quietly.

"Hm? Something bothering you, Ji-nee?" the younger girl asked before taking a bite of her share.

"Y-you shouldn't give me half of what's yours if you're not going to eat the other half. Here. I'll just-" She froze when Kiku took hold of her wrist to stop her from splitting her share in half.

"You need to eat. You barely touched your dinner and breakfast so at least eat something before you go to that hell hole. Can't let those idiots make fun of you if your stomach starts growling in the middle of class."

"But I-"

"Ji-nee. If you can have the ability to stick up to me about taking care of myself, then you should do the same for your own sake," the MoriYellow snapped, making her sister flinch. "You really think I'd sit idly by while my sister is being bullied over something she has no control over?"

"But I'm not as strong as you or Onee-chan… You know that."

"And?" Kiku sighed. "Ji-nee, let me tell you something." She leaned against the table to get closer to the girl, her eyes turning yellow. "You see how my eyes change like you and Nee-chan? This thing happens to us almost as often as you. My classmates have seen it and made fun of it, especially when they found out we're related. You really think I'd let that pain get to me? I've heard them mention you. 'Tiny' or 'that freak sister'. We're family. We protect each other even if we don't know it. Those idiots had no right to make fun of you. They don't know you like we do just like those stupid bullies at your school. What Nee-chan and I want you to do when you get to school is to face those idiots when they get close to you. Say nothing if you have to. If they make fun of you, don't run or back away. Just give them a good stare. If they become violent, think of them as those weird henchmen we fight. They're no better if all they want to do is bring you down to make themselves feel better. Got it?"

"But-"

"No buts, Ji-nee. I'm serious. If we're going to start fighting monsters every day, you're going to have to stand up to your fears. What happened years ago can't be fixed overnight, but fighting these bullies now will be one step closer to recovering. You're scared, but you have to learn just like what Nee-chan has been doing to take care of us. I've been doing the same thing because I'm learning that I can't be a kid any much longer. Got it? Nod if you understand."

Tomoko gave a shaky nod, only to be looking down at the table when she did so. Akane and Kiku heard the bakery entrance open, recognizing the footsteps.

"Now get to school and find that courage. I'll see you after school." She stood and took her leave. Akane did the same, giving Tomoko a gentle pat on the shoulder before leaving.

"Tomoko?" The MoriBlue looked up at the voice to find Satoshi. He held out his hand. "Let's get to school. Your sisters told me you might need some company."

She looked at his hand before slowly reaching out to it. She tensed when he took her hand, only to find his grip gentle to the touch. She relaxed a little and got to her feet, taking hold of her bag before following him out of the bakery, their hold gone for her comfort.

"Is everything okay? Sensei said you left early yesterday after talking to Kurozawa-sensei. I came by to drop off your stuff but your sister said you needed time."

"I-I'm fine, Takahashi-san," she said quietly, stopping him from interrogating her further. "I just… I needed time to breathe… That's all…"

"Are you sure you can come back to school after that? School policy says you can stay home as long as you have a valid reason and someone to call and confirm for you. They'll understand."

"I-it's fine… You don't have to worry so much… I just need to get used to it…"

Satoshi pursed his lips before looking forward, knowing that his questions will make her push him away more. "Just tell me if you need anything. I promised you that when we became friends."

"I know… But I'll be fine… I promised someone that…" She carefully reached up to where her locket would have been. It was too important for her to lose or separate from so she always hid it under her uniform, knowing no one would try to take it from her if she wore it like that. She carefully ran her finger over it, somewhat able to feel the floral engraving on the front underneath her dress shirt.

The two reached the school and made their way to the rows of lockers that held their shoes. Satoshi turned to her, knowing his is pretty far from hers. "Do you want me to wait for you to change them?"

She shook her head. "I'll be fine…"

"Okay." He was about to take his leave but found the back of his jacket pulled. He turned back to look at the girl, only to find her gaze on the floor.

"Th-thank you… For always watching over me like this…" she said quietly before letting go. She felt his hand on her head before he gently stroked it.

"Always." He pulled away before holding his hand up as if to wave. "I'll see you at the hall entrance, okay?" He took his leave to look for his own locker.

Tomoko reached for her locket again and softly smiled, happy to take such a step with her friend. She took in a deep breath before quickly changing her shoes, relieved that they were left untouched for her to change into. She was about to go to meet with her friend again until a hand slammed against the lockers in front of her, making her freeze. She felt as if her heart stopped for a moment at the sound and couldn't breathe.

"Yo, Tanaka," a girl sneered as she leaned against her arm that was on the lockers. "We've missed you after lunch yesterday. Too scared to stay in school all day?"

Tomoko leaned against the lockers, hoping to steady her breathing before they can continue. One of them pushed her, forcing her back against the lockers. "Come on, Tanaka. You know the punishment if you ditch any invitation from us."

Fujinori took hold of her shirt collar. "Why don't we have a little fun before we get to class?" She trailed her finger over Tomoko's neck before tugging on the chain of her locket, forcing it out from its hiding spot. "Oh? Nice little locket you have here, Tanaka. When did you get it?"

Tomoko remained silent, panicking that they might take it away.

"Mind if I have it? I've always wanted a locket. Come on. I'm sure it means nothing to you. You probably have a lot more at home." She was about to tug at the chain to rip it off but a hand grabbed hold of her wrist. "Hm?" She looked at the hand before at the girl. "Fighting back now?"

Tomoko's grip tightened before she raised her head to look at the bullies, her eyes glowing purple and blue streaks appearing in her hair. "Don't touch it," she said, her voice slightly warping. She twisted the taller girl's wrist, forcing her to let go before pushing her off. "No one touches my mother's locket," she scowled.

The group of girls coward when they saw that seemed to be bloodthirst in the girl's eyes, something that almost seemed impossible for the shy and meek girl. "Get out of my sight." They scurried off at the order, terrified of the look they saw.

Tomoko's breathing became heavy and she let out a small gasp when her eyes turned back to their usual grey and the blue streaks disappeared from her hair. She looked around to find her bullies gone and one hand holding her locket. Her free hand went to her head and she winced from the headache that started to form.

An alarm came from her Cuff and she looked at it to be a call from Hiro. She answered to find his hologram. "Hiro?"

"Ah. Tomoko. Surprised to hear you answer. The Ningengata appeared again in the city. Do you think you can fight this time?"

"I-I think so. I'll be right there." She looked around before making her way off the school property, throwing her schoolbag into a bush just in case and digging her hands into the pockets of her jacket. She stopped when she felt some type of metallic case in her left pocket. She shook her head before making her way to the city, her eyes turning blue.

* * *

"Hm? Lost track of your little friend, girls?" Moakuma mocked as he dodged the two's attacks.

They held up their weapons as their breathing became heavy from their attempts to strike him. "Never thought someone who manipulates minds would be good at fighting…" Kiku muttered.

"There has to be an opening of some kind. Or at least a way to fight those illusions." She soon found the Ningengata's horn glowing. "Kiku!" She took hold of her sister to shield her.

Moakumu fired his beam but stopped when a wall of water and ice blocked it. "Hm?"

The two turned to find Tomoko in her uniform. "Tomoko…" "Ji-nee…"

"Hoh… So the little one has returned. I thought you would have stayed home after what my illusions did to you the other day," Moakumu mocked. "Perhaps I should take it up a notch." His horn glowed again and Tomoko felt a splitting headache forming.

 _Freak._

 _Always thinks she's better than us just because her parents are rich._

 _What's with those eyes, weirdo? Did you think you'll be a superhero if you thought jumping into acid will make your eyes do that?_

 _We're not your friends, Tomo-chi. We never were._

 _I don't even understand why you took that girl in as your student. She's just a child! A commoner, even!_

Tomoko fell to her knees as her breathing became heavy, terrified of the harsh words thrown at her.

 _She's a lost cause._

 _Surely those girls would be better off in an orphanage._

 _She's always a strange one. I'm surprised they still keep her as their daughter._

"Oi! Cut it out!" Kiku shouted as she held up her rifle to shoot. Akane quickly stopped her.

"Kiku, don't," she warned," He'll get you, too."

"Well I can't just sit around while she's like this!"

"Trust me. She'll be fine."

Those words didn't seem to reach the small girl as she shook in fear.

 _Well hello, little one. I've been waiting for you._

She froze upon hearing the voice, her eyes a mixture of orange and violet under her helmet. _"No… Not that… please…"_

 _Tomoko._

She stopped when she heard the voice ringing through her ears. _"Papa…?"_

 _We're here, baby. Don't be afraid._

 _"Mama…"_ Tears began to fall when she heard her parents' voices.

 _Just remember that you're loved and know that that will give you the strength to fight._

 _"Onee-chan…"_

 _You really think I'd sit idly by while my sister is being bullied over something she has no control over?_

 _"Kiku-chan…"_

She took in a shaky breath before slowly getting to her feet. She took in deep breaths to steady her breathing before looking up at the monster. _"Don't be afraid… don't be afraid… don't be afraid…"_

 _Don't be afraid._

Moakumu looked at the girl, confused she wasn't reacting as harshly as before but now standing, her reading giving out a blue glow rather than it's initial red. Before he could say anything, he was struck by the blade of her sword. "It… can't be…" he muttered as he stumbled back from the strike. "How can someone escape from my spell?!"

Tomoko didn't say anything but rather continued her attacks, dodging any swings the monster made before striking. Her sisters looked on, surprised of her development.

"How did she…?" Kiku trailed off, dumbstruck.

Akane gently patted her shoulder. "She'll be fine. Come on." She ran into the fray, making her sister reluctantly follow. "Tomoko! Fall back!"

Tomoko kicked herself off the monster, landing into their formation.

 _"Lightning Shot!"_

 _"Rolling Wave!"_

Moakumu found himself trapped by the two attacks, struggling to be released. Akane dashed towards him before jumping into the air, her Claws ready for the final strike.

 _"Flaming Strike!"_ She swung down and spun to perform her uppercut, destroying the monster.

* * *

Dorgon stroked his chin as he watched the battle. "Interesting… Being able to overcome that fear so well. Perhaps there is more strength to these girls than we thought. But perhaps they won't be so lucky next time."

* * *

Akane let out a sigh in relief, knowing the illusions should be gone. She heard the sound of metal crashing into the concrete and looked over at Tomoko, her weapon on the ground and her legs slowly giving out. "Tomoko!" She ran to her sister and quickly wrapped her arms around her before she could hit the ground.

"Ji-nee!" Kiku rushed over to their side, worried of their smallest sister. They found her changing back into her school uniform and was unconscious in Akane's arms. They let out a sigh when they heard her breathing.

The MoriRed gently petted her sister's head. "You did good, Tomoko… We're so proud of you…" she whispered. She looked over at Kiku who was smiling. "Come on. Let's go home and get her to bed. She needs it."

"Roger." Kiku went into a kneeling position before Akane hoisted Tomoko onto her back, helping her stand up and balance herself to piggyback the MoriBlue. They made their way home. "Nee-chan… you think we'll be okay? You think Ji-nee will be okay?"

Akane dug her hands into her pockets. "I'm not sure. This is only the first step for her so we need time to heal. But she'll be fine." She reached over to brush Tomoko's hair behind her ear, revealing a blue hearing aid. She softly smiled, glad the younger girl found them and put them on before fighting.

* * *

 _ **Another long chapter but I do promise that the next one should be a little more lighthearted. This chapter may raise a lot of questions but they will be answered in later chapters. The cause of Tomoko's trauma, the hearing aid, her strange powers, her steps towards closure. It won't be next chapter but some questions will be answered soon.**_

 _ **Translations:**_

 _ **Sensei is mainly used to refer to a teacher, especially in this story as the girls are all students. I may use it in a different context such as for professors or doctors.  
"-chi" is an honorific that can be used by children or is used to refer to a girl in a cutesy manner. Usually it's spelled "-chin" but I shortened it for the nickname and sometimes the "n" can't be heard.**_

 _ **Next chapter will be focused in Kiku so look forward for some concentration on the youngest sibling.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: ...I know... it's been over 2 months. Mostly had trouble with the action/villain scenes because I wanted the story to focus more on the dramatic side of Sentai and the whole Monster-of-the-Week thing doesn't really suit my style that well. I'm not good at action and I have not improved over the last 7 years. But hopefully I was able to pull this chapter off until the whole Monster thing is more sporadic rather than having one every chapter. Oh, well. Enjoy the chapter!**_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Super Sentai. I only own my original characters._**

* * *

Harpy impatiently tapped her foot as Dorgon looked into the flames once more. "Dorgon. I don't suppose you have another one of your schemes planned. All of your attacks against the Morirangers have been failures."

The dragon ignored his colleague as he gazed into the flames. "It's best to be patient, Harpy. We are still in the beginning stages of testing these children."

The blue elite scoffed at his dismissal. "Wouldn't it be better if we just get rid of them now?"

"If we do, we won't have a lead for what the Master seeks. Now don't fret. This new objective will allow us to test the abilities of these girls in a way they don't even know."

* * *

"Battle Enlargement?" Tomoko asked as the three sat in the Base with Hiro. "What's that?"

"The three of you were lucky to not have this happen during your first battles, but it's possible that you'll see it soon," Hiro said as he pulled up a few screens. What caught the girls' attention were screens that showed monsters taller than city buildings and wreaking havoc.

"Eh? Is that even possible?" Kiku questioned.

"You may have seen some of it on the news when you were younger. These events rarely happen, but your parents were able to develop the proper technology to go against them." He pulled up a screen that showed large robots that resembled their animals. "MoriRobos. Equipped with advanced controls and weaponry that can counter Ningengata as long as proper spiritual energy is charged."

"So we get to pilot giant robots?"

"And befriend them." He pressed a button and small boxes appeared in front of the girls. They jumped when the boxes opened and steam came from them. Small heads poked out before smaller versions of the robots jumped out of the boxes, surprising the three.

The wolf looked at Akane whose eyes turned red at the sight of it. It tilted its head in confusion before jumping onto her shoulder and nudged its head against hers, letting out soft whimpers and licking her. She couldn't help but to laugh when she felt its tongue tickling her cheek. "Oi. Stop that."

Tomoko backed into her chair when the mouse scurried closer to her. It moved back for a moment and scratched its head with its small arms as if to clean itself. Tomoko looked at it, cautious of what it could do but found it sleeping on the table. She let out a relieved sigh before reaching out and gently poking its head and petting it. It let out small chirps in happiness and grabbed her finger, making her smile. "It's nice to meet you, too," she said quietly, earning another happy chirp in response.

Kiku furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance when she found her sisters getting along with their new partners so well. She looked up at the top of her head where hers was sound asleep, hitting its foot against her every now and then.

"It's best if you girls learn to earn their trust so it will be easier to pilot them when the time comes," Hiro said," But because you do not have any training in piloting them, the company created simulators. Testing should be done soon so I advise you girls head over as soon as you can to get started."

"Roger!"

* * *

"Enemy to the northeast. Should be within firing range," a pilot said as he sat in the simulation room, tugging on the levers while the seat shook.

"Target in sight. Leave it to me," another one said from beside him. "Think you can handle the other one on your own, S?"

The third pilot nervously rubbed his head. "I suppose so."

The first flipped the cover off of a button that was on the lever in his right hand. "Fire!"

A large explosion was heard, making them sigh in relief.

 _Simulation End. Doors opening._

The pilots took off their seatbelts before making their way towards the viewing rooms where the girls were watching along with an older man in a lab coat. The first pilot took off his helmet before giving a salute. "Testing complete, Nakamura-san. No issues in the controls or movements," he said. He looked at the girls who were staring in surprise. "Yes?"

"H-Hoji-sensei!" Kiku cried as she pointed at the man, recognizing his tan complexion and highlighted hair. She looked at the man who stood next to the girls, a lab coat covering his clothes. "Hiro-ojisan! You didn't tell us it was Hoji-sensei leading the simulation testing!"

The man hesitated and scratched the back of his neck nervously. He looked at the Deka who simply shook his head before looking at the MoriYellow. "They requested to have some of the Earth Branch testing it. Once we found out it was your uncle requesting for test pilots, Boss suggested having the three of us take part."

"Three?" They looked at the accompanying pilots and their eyes widened when they recognized two more Special Police officers. "Jasmine-san and Sen-san?!"

"It's been a while, Kiku-chan," Sen said with a grin," You've grown a lot ever since your lessons ended. Have you've been eating well?"

"Y-yeah, but…" Kiku looked at the three in shock, unsure what to say.

"Tomasu-san. If Kruger-san requested to have the three of you help with testing, does this mean that the Special Police knows of us?" Tomoko asked as she looked at the blue Deka.

Hoji gave a firm nod. "Your parents have worked with Swan-san once in the past so the two were able to share information with one another. The Morirangers were no exception. But we are afraid this may be too much of a burden for you girls since you're still children." He looked over at Kiku who quickly turned to avoid his gaze. Jasmine took notice before slipping behind the MoriYellow and giving her a gentle push towards her former teacher.

She looked at Akane and Tomoko before linking her arms with theirs. "Why don't the four of us talk and catch up? I'm sure your sister needs to have a little talk with her teacher. My treat." She began to lead them away. "Sen! Come on!" she called.

The green Deka looked at the three with him before giving a small bow and following the girls.

Hoji folded his arms and looked over at Kiku who nervously looked away, unsure what to say about the situation.

* * *

Kiku nervously stirred the straw around her glass of cream soda as she sat in the office café with her former teacher. She wasn't sure what her mentor was going to say to her if he knew about her fighting monsters. She was still just a child when she requested to have a teacher for some kind of combat. Akane was able to enroll into SCRTC for jyuken lessons and earned private lessons when she was around the yellow warrior's age. A family friend agreed to teach Tomoko kendo as a child up until the incident that left her locked up at home. Kiku wasn't sure what she wanted to learn when it came to competing with her sisters in combat.

It actually wasn't until she was around seven years old when she witnessed masked heroes taking on monsters during one of their family vacations. Seeing the heroes using a combination of short and long range weapons to fight inspired her to learn to do the same. Her mother suggested learning archery like herself but the young girl found it much too boring and a hassle when it came to learning how to quickly draw arrows or the fear or running out. She wanted something new and her father eventually gave in to her tantrums. The company was able to develop virtual reality simulators for her to practice but before they let her touch it, they requested to have her be taught by a professional. Like Hoji said, their parents had close ties with the Earth Branch of S.P.D. so they were able to put in a request. Of course, he turned down their offer many times due his schedule and facing intergalactic criminals. Even to this day, no one knew why he suddenly accepted the day after giving them a harsh lecture about the seriousness of his job.

"Kiku. You've been dazing off for ten minutes. If this was training, you would already be shot dead," Hoji said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"S-sorry…" She sat up straight and lifted the cup so she can take a sip of her drink.

"How has your training progressed? I assume you have been training ever since you've started to fight this enemy."

"I-I am… Kind of… If games count," she said sheepishly, knowing she never held onto a piece of firearm by herself and they don't have one at home. Hiro locks away her rifle at home so the only time she ever uses it is inside the Base or when she's fighting.

Hoji folded his arms as he leaned back in his chair. Kiku shrunk in fear when she saw the look in his eyes. "I've asked your uncle when I first visited the company to test the simulators. About the type of enemy you're facing and why only the three of you are pushed to fight. Why did you say yes?"

"I wanted to…"

"You're only thirteen, Kiku. You're still a child and fighting should be handled by adults. You could get killed."

The young warrior nervously scratched her ear as she recalled what happened during their first fight. "Only if they hit the right places…" she said sheepishly.

"Kiku. This is no time to be smart with me. I agreed to teach you so you can at least have some form of combat training to protect yourself. If you were at least Tomoko's age, I wouldn't be this concerned about putting a child at risk."

Kiku pursed her lips at how he called her a child again. She took in a deep breath before sitting up straight in her seat. She looked up at him, a yellow tint in her brown eyes as her tone became a little harsher. "You put a real rifle into the hands of an eight-year-old. That's a big risk, already."

"Under a controlled environment. They told me what happened the first day you ran into the battlefield without Akane. You almost got yourself and Tomoko killed by rushing into an enemy you don't know of. I am telling you this because I am your teacher and you are still too young for this."

"Then why teach me? Why go through the trouble of teaching a small child on how to use a gun if it's too dangerous?"

"Your parents asked me to."

Kiku felt something snap in her at her teacher's short response. "Yeah, well the last time I heard, police who deals with aliens are too busy fighting crime to even consider teaching children on how to use firearms or even allow it. My parents must have told you something that you or your boss couldn't have said no to." Her eyes turned completely yellow. She was getting impatient with him, unable to believe his words of simply accepting her parents' request. The reason was probably this secret that everyone knows about. Everyone but her.

"It's complicated, Kiku. You're still too young to understand."

"Why? Because I'm a child? I can handle myself, Hoji-sensei. My sisters and I have been doing that for over a year ever since our parents died. I'm not that child you knew years ago." She stood up before walking away, ignoring the blue Deka's calls.

* * *

"Heh~? These things really do that?" Jasmine mused as she looked at Tomoko's hearing aids. "I should really see if I can ask for my own pair."

"They're still working on a perfected version," Akane said," These are just prototypes to go against that Ningengata we faced a few days ago."

"Those can come in handy when we go against Alienizers that have similar abilities in our area," Sen said," But we're glad you girls are doing well. We have been meaning to visit but things have been busy."

"It's fine. Special Police have a lot on their plate already. We don't want you worrying about a group of sisters so it's really okay." She soon spotted Kiku walking over. "And speaking of sisters."

Tomoko pulled away from Jasmine when she noticed the look in her younger sister's eyes. "Kiku-chan?"

The MoriYellow stopped at their table and folded her arms, not making eye contact with any of them. "Can we go home? I'm tired."

"S-sure." Akane gave an apologetic look towards the two officers before standing up. "Thanks again for helping our uncle with the simulators. We really appreciate it." She gave a bow before leading her sisters out of the building.

The two Dekas sighed, catching on to the three's emotions. "He's done it again," Sen said.

"He should really soften up more since we're dealing with girls here," Jasmine added, receiving a nod.

Sen heard his phone ringing and picked it up. "Hello? Umeko? E-eh? Right now? O-okay. I'll head to the market and be right there." He stood up and quickly put on his jacket.

"Cravings again?" the ESPer teased, making her teammate blush in embarrassment.

"I suppose so. I'll meet you back at the Base." He took off.

* * *

Kiku angrily pressed the buttons on the control, her eyes focused on the FPS game in front of her. An explosion was heard from the screen, making her groan when the only words on the screen were "YOU DIED".

There was a knock at the door and she turned to find Akane who had a tray of iced tea and cake. She rolled her eyes before looking back at the screen, seeing if she can join another server. The controller was taken out of her hands and replaced by a plate with a slice of shortcake. She looked back at her sister. "Oi!"

"We need to talk, baby sis," Akane said, tossing the controller onto the bed and taking a seat. "Tomoko finally baked something after a while so you better eat it. Okaa-san's recipe."

Kiku glared at her sister before letting out a sigh in defeat. Always have to use their sister and mother to get her to cave. She turned off the monitor and turned in her chair to look at the MoriRed. "You do know there's nothing to talk about."

"Usagi says otherwise," the older girl quipped, her gaze falling on the robot on the desk. It was curled up on the corner with its back against them. "Hiro says they're linked to the spirits we're linked to which means they can detect emotions from their partners. Something tells me that you're struggling and pushing away your partner."

"I am not."

"Uh-huh." She snapped her fingers, making her own robot jump out of her pocket and land on the desk. "Inuko. Get your sister out." The wolf barked before tackling Usagi off, making the two start a play fight.

Kiku furrowed her eyebrows before looking at her sister. "How do you know it's a she?"

This earned a shrug. "Took many tries to get her name. Come on. Why don't we talk?"

"We have nothing to talk about."

"Sure. As if you weren't angry at Hoji-san for what he was saying to you."

"Do we really need to have this conversation?"

"Yep."

Kiku let out another groan. "I'm too old for this."

"Too old to hold back from this conversation. Come on. It'll make you feel better."

Kiku looked at her sister and pursed her lips, unsure what to say to the college student. The two sat there in silence before their Cuffs rang. The MoriYellow let out a sigh in relief. "Perfect timing."

Akane shot her a glare that read "We're definitely talking about this. No exceptions." Kiku rolled her eyes before the two left the house.

* * *

Screams rang through the shopping district as pedestrians ran from the Teshitas chasing them. Behind them was a Ningengata that was tapping a rifle against his shoulder as he strolled through the now vacant streets, his large red scorpion tail gently swaying with each step. His eyes scanned the area before pulling himself into a stop. With a few quick movements, he positioned his rifle with his tail stuck into the base. He pulled the trigger to release bullet-shaped venom and striking many pedestrians, forcing them onto the ground as purple blotches appeared on their skin.

He smirked in please. "Hmph. Glad I never lost my aim." He soon heard something and turned, only to be struck by yellow bullets.

"What a coincidence. Never lost mine, either," Kiku sneered as she held onto her own rifle. Akane and Tomoko soon joined her side, the latter holding up her Cuff to examine the Ningengata.

"Skapion. He concentrates the poison from his tail to create bullets he shoots from his rifle. He takes his weapon from whip scorpions," she said as she looked at the file. She softly grimaced behind her helmet at the idea of such a weapon.

This earned a small scoff from the MoriYellow. "Of-freaking-course. It had to be a freaking sniping monster." She tightened her grip over her weapon. "Let's just get this fight over with."

Skapion brushed off his chest plate as he got back to his feet. "Not bad for a kid. I suppose parents don't have a filter on what dangerous weapons children can use nowadays." He side-stepped to dodge another bullet. "Got a stray, little one."

Akane heard leather rubbing against metal and turned to find Kiku's grip tightening around her weapon more, her breathing rough. She took hold of her sister's shoulder. "Get a grip before you completely lose it, Kiku," she chided, only to have the younger girl pull away and charge. "Kiku!" She was about to follow but Teshitas surrounded the two, forcing them back.

The MoriYellow took the bayonet off of her weapon as she charged, deflecting the bullets shot at her. Skapion raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Never thought that cutting bullets would be in the curriculum." He tilted his head to dodge another bullet and jumped back to get out of Kiku's reach, her bayonet barely able to graze him.

"Tch." Kiku bent back when she found the barrel pointed at her face, making the shot miss her. She didn't notice Skapion moving his tail and swept it under her feet, making her lose her balance.

"Kiku-chan!" Tomoko leapt forward and swung her sword up, making the Ningengata's weapon point up as he shot.

"You're in the way!" Skapio repositioned his tail before thrusting it forward to strike the MoriBlue.

"Ji-nee!" Kiku pushed her sister out of the way and dodged the barb before it could strike her. She winced when the tail scratched her shoulder, creating a large gash. Her eyes turned yellow before she kicked the Ningengata in the abdomen, knocking him back several feet. Her hand went to her shoulder wound as she winced.

"Kiku-chan!" Tomoko held onto her sister to support her before Akane landed in front of them.

"You rushed in too quickly!" Akane swung her claws, creating a smoke covering before the three escaped.

* * *

Kiku jerked away when Tomoko tried to clean her wound. "Ow!"

"S-sorry... Try to stay still or it will be infected, Kiku-chan..." The smaller girl carefully dabbed the wound with a disinfecting swab much to the younger girl's dismay. "I'm almost done, okay?" She carefully applied the bandages to keep the wound closed before wrapping Kiku's shoulder in gauze. "There. That should be good in a day or two."

"Th-thanks..." Kiku pulled away but winced from the movement. She looked at her sister who meticulously put away the first aid kit. "What about you?"

Tomoko looked at her but quickly looked away. "Y-you know how I am..." She reached for the bandaid on her cheek and took it off, showing the scratch now gone compared to when the monster fled. "It stops infection, too, apparently..."

Kiku let out a small hum in response with a nod. "Got it." She stood up before retreating to her room, swinging her hoodie over her shoulders to shield herself from the cold.

Tomoko looked at her older sister, knowing they should have had a talk before the monster appeared. "Did you upset her?"

Akane put her hands into the air in mock surrender. "I did nothing. But judging by her fighting today, it's probably best if we keep an eye on her and make a few calls." She leaned back in her seat and looked at her smallest sister. "I really don't know how to talk to her. She grew up way too differently from us so it's hard to get through to her."

The MoriBlue looked at her sister before taking the vacant spot next to her. She hugged the MoriRed's arm and rested her head on her shoulder. "We always wanted her to be the most normal out of the three of us... It's no surprise that she would act like this..." Her grip tightened as she looked down. "I'm sorry... It's because of me that we became this separated from her..."

Akane let out a deep sigh before gently petting her sister's head. "Don't blame yourself for what couldn't be controlled, Tomoko. We just have to get all of this through to her. Even if it means telling her the truth."

"The ones that I can't know?"

"Yeah... Just be patient, okay? The time will come for you to know. Kiku, too."

"Okay..."

* * *

Akane put away all of the dishes after washing them and looked out into the living room where she found Tomoko napping on the couch with the TV set on a drama she was watching. She softly smiled at the sight and covered the small girl with a blanket before hearing small gunshots from downstairs. Curious, she headed down to the Base and heard loud thuds coming from behind the metal door.

" _You're fighting more recklessly, Kiku_ ," Hiro chided, his voice muffled.

Akane slowly opened the door and peeked in to find her youngest sister picking her rifle back up before charging at the robot, only to be knocked down after a few strikes despite his lectures. She noticed the MoriYellow's eyes were glowing in her respective color and took in a deep breath, seeing how she's still angry. She closed the door before holding up her Cuff, scrolling through her contact list.

* * *

Kiku pouted when she found Tomoko waiting at the front door the next morning. She looked back into the kitchen where Akane was doing the dishes, her classes being scheduled for the afternoon. She sighed before looking back at her small sister. "You're going to confront me about something, aren't you?"

This made Tomoko pout. "I'm just worried and want to walk you to school, Kiku-chan," she whined softly," And I owe you for last time."

The MoriYellow softly groaned before putting on her sneakers. "Okay, okay. Let's just go." She gently pushed her sister out the door so they can go to school. She locked the door before they set off, knowing they should be able to take the same route.

The walk was quiet since they were still early. Tomoko had morning practice and always went earlier for private practice while Kiku would play some games from the Gaming Club. Due to the fact she's not allowed to practice with a real gun and the simulators are often off-limits without parental guidance, she has taken to playing first-person shooting games at home and recently joined the Gaming Club at school to practice against classmates. It was part of her informal training after the incident to challenge her reflexes but it didn't compare to the simulators. She was aware that they didn't really help her during these battles against Nightshift but they were the closest things she had to get a general grasp of battle.

"Kiku-chan. Have you've been able to control your powers?"

Kiku blinked and looked at her sister, caught off-guard by the question. "Hm? Hmm..." She thought for a moment. It was no surprise to have that question frequently asked in the family. Technically, they couldn't be called human given their abilities they have developed during training and Kiku couldn't help but to notice. She and Akane were able to have heightened senses of hearing, smell, and sight. And much like their Moriranger counterparts, they were able to develop an affinity towards their respective elements, becoming more energetic in certain environments. She even recalled Akane summoning fire for a brief moment without anyone realizing what happened.

"Hmm... I guess I'm doing alright. What about you, Ji-nee? Are Hiro-ojisan's aids working for you?"

Tomoko let out a sheepish laugh. "They're just prototypes so I can still hear things from time to time."

"Tell me what I'm thinking."

The MoriBlue playfully put on a serious expression as if to focus, knowing her sister is teasing her. "Hamburger for dinner."

"I wasn't thinking that, but you do know my tastes," Kiku teased, sticking her tongue out.

"I just started hearing those things so I don't know yet," Tomoko pouted, earning a haughty laugh from her younger sister. She softly smiled, glad her sister was able to cheer up.

Kiku took notice. "What?"

This only made the MoriBlue smile a little more widely. "I'm just happy you're back to your usual self. You've been upset ever since we talked to Tomasu-san."

At this, the younger girl pouted. "He gave me the same lecture that Nee-chan has been giving me."

"He wants to look out for you, Kiku-chan. You're still young so it's natural to be worried."

"You don't seem to be."

"Onee-chan says enough. I chose to fight so I won't leave you two alone. I'm getting used to it. But you're different, Kiku-chan. You were raised more normally than Onee-chan and I."

"Our family is anything but normal, Ji-nee," Kiku retorted with a playful roll of her eyes. "And I thought you weren't confronting me about what happened."

"I'm not. I just want to make sure you're okay. Be an older sister to you for once." Tomoko was cut off from continuing when the yellow warrior pulled her into a headlock and ruffled her hair.

"A tiny older sister, Ji-nee!" she teased before the two laughed.

They reached the middle school but stopped when they found a motorcycle parked outside the gate, the letters "SPD" printed on the front and sides. Kiku's face turned sour when she saw the owner of the vehicle leaning against it, his sunglasses covering his eyes. She let go of her sister before walking up to him.

"I hope you're just here to investigate aliens at my school," she said, her voice firm yet angry.

Hoji took off his sunglasses before looking at the girl. "That would be under Sen's jurisdiction since he's better with kids. But we have unsettled business to take care of, Kiku." He held up a helmet towards the MoriYellow. "I already gave your teachers a note. I'm giving you your final lesson as my student."

Kiku bit the side of her cheek as she looked at the helmet. She looked over at Tomoko who tightly held onto her schoolbag, unsure what to make of the situation. Judging by the green in her eyes, it was obvious that the MoriBlue didn't know about the confrontation.

She took hold of the helmet, almost snatching it from her teacher. "Fine. You get an hour but you're treating me for taking me out of school." She looked over at Tomoko. "Call me if anything happens. I'll run right over." She ignored her teacher shaking his head and put on her helmet, climbing onto the back of the motorcycle. "This better be worth it, Hoji-sensei."

"I promised your parents. Even if they're gone, a promise is a promise." He gave a reassuring nod to Tomoko before taking off, the MoriYellow's arms wrapped tightly around his middle so she wouldn't fall off.

* * *

Kiku gently sipped her hot chocolate as the two sat in Star Café. It's a popular place for students to hang out after school and it was famous for being a café chain under Star Productions. New clients would work as maids or butlers from time to time to hone their skills as performers and would be given special discounts. The Tanaka family was also given a special discount due to Akane's relationship with one of the clients and Tomoko recently started to work there as a recommendation to break out of her shy shell and get used to being around more people.

It was fairly quiet due to having everyone going to work or school with little to no time to stop and eat. Anyone who would enter would be college students before their first classes begin or perhaps some elders who want to have a change in their free schedules. The only people working in the Café would be the manager and his son working as a butler and maybe even a college student who didn't have any classes for the day. A perfect environment for a private talk.

Hoji carefully placed his cup of coffee onto the saucer before looking at his student, knowing she can be quite stubborn and hostile around him after their talk a few days prior. "Kiku. We are here to talk so I want you to hear me out."

"I hope it's not about me being a kid fighting monsters again," she retorted quietly, her eyes not meeting his.

"That's half of it. But I do want to talk. Your parents have cut off ties with the Special Police and your sisters' teachers after what happened three years ago. I want to know how you're doing."

"And you couldn't have looked it up on our files? I'm sure the Special Police has files on us since we're not human."

Hoji let out a sigh before folding his hands and leaning forward. "Talk to me, Kiku. Tell me things you're afraid of telling your sisters. You want to know why I agreed to let you be my students, didn't you? You want to know why your sisters insist on letting you grow up more normally after that incident. I can't tell you those things if you don't trust me with talking to you."

Kiku pursed her lips and took in a deep breath. She looked at her teacher, a yellow tint in her eyes. "What do you want to know?"

The blue Deka let out a sigh in relief. "How is school? How has your family been doing the past year?"

"School's fine. Been getting high marks recently."

"How about friends?"

"Been kicking ass in Gaming Club, but I do come here from time to time with some of my friends."

Hoji gave a nod, glad that she still has friends. "Do you have any trouble with bullies? I know your sister has trouble with them so I'm worried it might happen with you." He noticed she started to hesitate and look away, twiddling her thumbs as she pursed her lips. "Do your sisters know?"

Kiku gave a small nod. "I told them... Mostly because it's driven by Ji-nee. Everyone knows our family and how weird we are. It became worse after that incident and I hear nothing but insults about her and our family. How we're cursed with our parents dying or our eyes changing colors. But if you think I'm just going to take them, you're wrong, Hoji-sensei. I fight back. Make sure that they never talk about my family like that. I don't care if we really are cursed, I just don't want anything hurting my family more than we already are."

The blue Deka only gave a nod in understanding, knowing he shouldn't say so much. He was aware that the Tanaka family has been through hardship the past few years and it would have been hard for them to fight against it. He was impressed at how stubborn Kiku was when it came to training but hearing her talk about how she fought against bullying towards her family made him proud to have her as his student.

"Is that all you want to talk about? I still have to go back to school," Kiku said as she folded her arms.

"No. There are still things I want to clear up with you from yesterday." He took a sip of his coffee, prompting the girl to do the same. "I'm still unsure about putting you into the battlefield, Kiku. I'm sure you've heard this speech from your sister, but this is something very important. I am saying this because you're my student and even if we haven't had made contact in so long, I still care about you. You remember how we went over proper protocols before I gave you a gun for training."

Kiku took in a deep breath before giving a nod. She was just a small child so the blue Deka and his colleagues made sure to be very careful when it came to training her. They taught her how to properly hold different types whether it was a rifle or pistol and how to properly lock and store them. They showed her how to disarm opponents with firearms and keeping the weapon at a distance unreachable by the attacker. They made sure she understood the risks of holding a dangerous weapon before they were able to trust her with a real rifle for training. She was given the duty of taking care of the weapon, disassemble and reassemble, cleaning with the magazine removed and the trigger locked, and making sure she does not hold it after a certain time during training. It was harsh for a small girl just at the age of eight but she fully accepted the risk if it meant she can use such weapons to protect those dear to her. Her parents made sure to keep an eye on her during training sessions as well as making sure she's only given the weapons during training or emergencies.

"Every time you carry your weapon or fire it, remember why you're putting a bullet through someone. You're aware of the dangers but remember why you've decided to pick it up compared to your sisters."

Tears started to sting her eyes and she gave a small nod, recollecting what happened during their first battle against Nightshift. The fear that shook her body as bullets struck the concrete shielding her. The look in her sister's eyes as she was unable to do anything but curl up and pray that someone could help them. But she knew what her teacher meant. The moment the enemy went closer to her fragile sister, her body moved on its own to protect her, making sure she doesn't lose her again. That unknown feeling that made her run and raise her weapon, but she knew it was something she learned from her teacher.

A small chime snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked at her Cuff that was glowing red on the black band. She found a blue handkerchief held out to her and looked at Hoji who gave her a reassuring smile and nod. She accepted the cloth and quickly wiped her eyes before standing up, only to be stopped when she walked past him.

"Talk to your sister properly once you're done. You should be ready to know what to expect in the future of your battles."

Kiku pursed her lips but softly smiled and gave a nod. "Thanks, Hoji-sensei... I'll keep that in mind." She pulled away but gently slapped his hand before taking off.

Hoji looked at his hand but softly smiled.

"Guess she's not a kid in your eyes anymore, Hoji," Jasmine teased as she walked up to him from behind.

"She's still a child, but she's grown enough to do what she thinks is right."

The yellow Deka smiled and folded her arms. "They'll always be our little nieces, Hoji. Now come on. Nakamura-san needs us to help out in his lab for this battle. Boss's orders."

* * *

Skapion sighed as he watched pedestrians scream and run away in fear. "That child is taking far too long. I was having fun with that fight." He jumped to dodge a stream of fire that struck the ground.

"You sure you want to deal with her and not her big sisters today?" Akane teased.

The Ningengata smirked. "Quite an offer you have there." He held up his rifle before a bullet struck the ground between the two sides.

"Not if I can help it." They looked up to find Kiku perched on top of a lamp post, her rifle resting on her shoulder and a smirk on her face.

"Kiku." "Kiku-chan."

Kiku looked at her sisters and gave a smile with a two-finger salute and wink. "Sorry for the wait." She jumped off the lamp post and landed in front of her sisters before facing the Ningengata. "I don't suppose I've introduced myself yet." She held her rifle with her left hand before turning her Cuff with her right.

 _"Transform! Rabbit!"_

 ** _"Doubutsu Henshin!"_** Yellow lightning surrounded her before she transformed. She twirled her weapon before positioning it. _"A flashing bolt powered by instinct. The thundering spirit, MoriYellow."_

She pointed at the Ningengata. "Instead of actually having a fight like yesterday, why don't we have a duel? Ten paces. Free-for-all if we both miss."

Akane stepped up. "Kiku, that's too dangerous." She stopped when her sister held up her free hand.

"I got this." She quirked an eyebrow as she looked at the Ningengata challengingly. "Well?"

Skapion smirked before putting his rifle into a resting position. "I suppose there is nothing wrong with that."

* * *

Akane and Tomoko watched as their younger sister was back-to-back with the Ningengata. "Ten paces and we shoot," Kiku said.

"Hmph. Not a problem." The two started to walk.

 _1... 2..._

Tomoko tightly held onto her sword as she watched her younger sister.

 _3..._

"O-Onee-chan... Are you sure this is okay?"

 _4..._

Akane nervously bit her lower lip, unsure how to answer that.

 _5... 6..._

"That all depends on her, Tomoko... I just don't know..."

 _7..._

"But we have to have faith in her."

"O-okay..."

 _8... 9..._

Skapion smirked before he readied his rifle and turned, catching the two's attention. "Oi!" Akane was about to charge but just before the Ningengata could pull the trigger, a bullet struck his tail. He stumbled back before more bullets struck his tail, cutting it off from the rest of his body.

"What the-?!" He looked at the MoriYellow who gripped her weapon with her right hand, the buttstock pressed between her arm and torso and her left hand behind her back.

She smirked. "You really want to cheat against someone with sensitive hearing?" she teased before firing again, making him stumble back. "That click your tail makes when it connects to your gun is way too obvious and how you step into your turn just gives away your way of cheating."

"Firing with only one arm... That's preposterous!"

Kiku twirled her rifle before resting it on her shoulders. "Is it really? I have a rifle expert as a shooting teacher. I'm pretty sure he taught me how to hold a firearm with one arm in case- oh... I dunno- I have a gash on one side?" She shrugged with a smug smile on her face. "And you might want to reconsider using your tail as your magazine. Not fun with it cut off."

"Thanks for that, Kiku!" Akane charged before swinging at the Ningengata, knocking him into the air. "Tomoko!"

Tomoko jumped into the air before cutting through the Ningengata. The strike launched him towards Kiku. "Kiku-chan!"

Kiku smirked before properly positioning her rifle, the barrel surrounded by large sparks. "Bye~" She pulled the trigger, sending a large bullet through Skapion and turning him to dust.

Dorgon smirked as he saw the MoriYellow pump her fist in victory. "Impressive. But let's see how you girls fare with this." He waved his hand over the cauldron, making it glow.

The ground started to shake and Akane quickly held onto her sisters to keep them at their feet. They looked up towards the rooftops where they found the Ningengata resurrected as a giant. "Guess we have to skip training and go straight to piloting the robots," Akane muttered in annoyance. She swiped her hand over her Cuff as Inuko appeared on her shoulder. Tomoko did the same for Chiyu but noticed her younger sister was now hesitating upon seeing the robots.

"Kiku-chan?"

The MoriYellow looked at her Cuff, unsure if her MoriRobo will act like she did before. She heard small chirps behind her and turned before being hit in the face with the yellow robot. "Ow!" She clutched the front of her helmet near her nose and looked at the small robot who let out happy chirps before landing on her shoulder, nuzzling its head against her cheek. "Usagi..." She gently petted the robot. "Guess you listened in on my talk with Hoji-sensei..." The rabbit let out happy chirps and nuzzling her cheek again. Kiku couldn't help but to giggle before looking at her sisters with more confidence. "Let's go!"

The three held out their Cuffs before the robots attached themselves to the projector. "Battle Enlargement!" The projector glowed in their respective colors, enveloping their robots in the same light. Loud growls and chirps came from the three before they grew to about half of the Ningengata's height.

The girls' eyes glowed before they made a high jump to their respective robo's heads, landing in the cockpits. The three were all similar to one another as they were all black in color with colors lights running along the walls and floors. A large panel was in front of them with two joysticks that were attached to a wheel. They noticed there were customized holders for their weapons, allowing them to insert their weapons and making the panel light up.

 _"Red! Set!" "Blue! Set!" "Yellow! Set!" "ARE YOU READY?!"_

"Follow my lead, guys," Akane said before the wheel locked and she pulled out the joysticks. She thrusted the left one forward, allowing Inuko to pounce at the enemy, biting into his arm.

"Hey! Let go of me, you mutt!" he scowled as he tried to shake her off.

"Onee-chan!" Tomoko cried, seeing how her grip was coming loose. She pressed the button on the right joystick before a large stream of water came from Chiyu's mouth, knocking the monster back.

Kiku's eyes glowed as she noticed the monster was soaked. "Nee-chan! Get off of him on my call!" She pulled out the joysticks before thrusting the left one back and the right one forward. Usagi jumped back and landed on top of a building. Her ears turned to point at the monster before charging with electricity. Between her ears formed a large bullet. "Nee-chan!"

Akane heard the call before pulling at her joysticks, making Inuko let go. "Why you little-!" The Ningengata kicked the wolf, making her let out a whimper after rolling away.

"Nee-chan!" Kiku's eyes glowed yellow as she tightly held onto the controls. **_"Bullet Shock!"_** She pressed the buttons before releasing the bullet. Usagi let out a loud screech as lightning trailed the bullet, striking the Ningengata. Sparks flew from him as he was electrocuted.

"No... way..." He fell backwards before turning into ash and disappearing.

* * *

"Kiku-chan!" Tomoko ran to her sister before pulling her into a hug. "You did it!" she cheered, nuzzling her cheek against her sister's in happiness.

Kiku's face turned red as she turned away from her smaller sister that was smothering her. "S-stop that, Ji-nee. It's nothing."

"Defeating the enemy in one strike for our first robot battle isn't nothing!"

"Geez..." Kiku couldn't help but to smile, knowing that her sister is just doting on her. She looked over at Akane who had an approving smile on her face. The MoriYellow pursed her lips as she looked at her eldest sister. She held up Usagi who jumped over at the MoriRed who quickly caught her.

The rabbit-like robot climbed onto Akane's shoulder before chattering into her ear. Her eyes turned red for a moment before looking at her youngest sister whose eyes were yellow. She bit her lower lip before giving a nod.

* * *

"Dinner will be ready in an hour. We are having hamburgers," Tomoko said before pushing her sisters out of the kitchen. "Leave it to me and Shichi-kun."

"Okay, okay." Akane stuck out her tongue, knowing her small sister wants the two to talk again.

Kiku dug her hands into her pockets as she shifted between her toes and heels, her gaze not leaving the floor. She nervously bit the inside of her cheek before looking at her sister. "Can we... talk in my room?"

The MoriRed looked at her before smiling. "Sure. We can talk over some FPS games you have."

The two went upstairs as the youngest sister set up her PlayStation and handed her sister the spare controller. The two played in silence for a few minutes before Akane spoke up, sniping down an opponent. "You want to talk about the family secret, right?"

Kiku took in a deep breath before giving a nod, shooting down two more players. "I talked to Ji-nee and Hoji-sensei today... I know our family isn't human, but I want to hear it from you. Everything we need to know about this battle against the enemy. Everything about Ji-nee and why we're protecting her."

"I don't know too much about the specifics, but I will tell you enough so you know what to expect." She pulled the trigger to snipe down a player that was sneaking up on her sister from behind. "Everything else has to come from Obaa-chan."

"Any idea when we can visit?"

"Her birthday is next weekend if you want to wait. We'll see Take-niisan and Kaoru-neesan there, too."

Kiku nervously bit her lower lip, unsure if she could wait that long. She sighed before giving a nod. "Okay. We should tell Ji-nee so we can get something prepared and hopefully she won't know about the other reason we're visiting."

"No problem." They both pulled the trigger before the game statistics popped up for their victory. Akane gently tossed the controller onto Kiku's desk before sitting next to her sister on the bed. "Okay. Let's get started."

* * *

 _ **A/N: This chapter is a tad bit shorter and I think a lot of future chapters wouldn't be as long depending on the character development or how much I explain the girls' past. But because the first three chapters are finished and the core members have been introduced, I figured it would be easier for me to do some shorter chapters if I**_ **do** ** _get to exclude the action scenes. Hopefully I can finish Chapter 4 soon._**

 ** _Also: please feel free to review. It feels strange having views but not receiving any feedback. I know some of you may be questioning my choices of introducing a veteran Sentai member in the story but I promise it will all be explained in later chapters. If you'd like, you can take a guess at who would be Akane and Tomoko's mentors since you've now met DekaBlue in this chapter. Tomoko's might be introduced next chapter considering where the plot is going so feel free to guess before I post it._**

 ** _Until the next chapter, じゃね～_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Okay. Before I start this off, there are very**_ **very** ** _important changes to the designs. I was discussing the designs with a friend of mine and making decisions on how the costumes could go together without looking too basic, especially the helmets. Rather than what you've read in Chapter 1 (which I revised), I was able to get some inspiration from Kyuranger where some of them has custom helmets and such. I will be posting links to the designs as soon as I can finalize drawings but my schedules are fluctuating due to school so it may take a while._**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Super Sentai. I only own my original characters and the plot._**

 ** _So without further ado, here is Chapter 4!_**

* * *

Kiku nervously shook her leg as she sat on a bench in the train station. Her eyes shifted between the bullet trains going in and out of the station and the screen that displayed approaching trains. She felt something tap her shoulder and turned to find Akane holding out a bottle of milk tea. She took in a deep breath before accepting the drink. She popped off the cap before taking a swig.

"You shouldn't be that nervous," Akane said quietly," We just saw her three months ago."

The MoriYellow rolled her eyes and leaned back against the bench. "Well three months ago, we weren't fighting monsters and I wasn't just told the biggest secret that a family like ours has to shoulder. How can I approach our grandma after finding out about this... this _thing_ you just told me last week? She knows everything, Nee-chan. What can I even say since she knows we're not human?"

Akane took hold of her sister's shoulders, making her stop her sudden jerks from the panic. "Hey. Listen to me. No one knows about this more than Obaa-chan. And this is something that can either save or kill us depending on what we do with this information. Our parents trusted me with this information and to tell you when the time is right. I didn't want to tell you until I have to tell Tomoko. I only told you because there are so many dangers and I would not live with myself if I find out my sisters died because of this thing they weren't allowed to know. I want you to look at Obaa-chan in the eye and listen to what she has to say. This isn't just for Tomoko's sake. This is for our entire family. Understand?"

Kiku took in a shaky breath before giving a nod, recalling everything her sister told her before they decided to go through with this visit. "O-okay..." She found herself pulled into a hug but quickly relaxed into her sister's hold, missing the comfort from when she was young.

"Sorry for the wait!" The two quickly pulled apart at the call and looked forward to find Tomoko running up with a plastic bag of snacks. She stopped in front of them, her breathing a little heavy from the short run. "They just stocked up on the different fillings so I had a hard time choosing."

Akane let out a short laugh. "It's okay. We still have another three minutes until the train gets here."

Tomoko gave a knowing nod before seeing her younger sister, only to find her eyes red. "Ah! Onee-chan, did you make Kiku-chan cry again?" She puffed up her cheeks for a pout, only for the two to laugh at the false accusation.

"She's just a little nervous, Tomoko. Our first time dropping by without a call in advance. Now what did you get us?"

The MoriBlue's eyes glistened as she opened up the bag, pulling out neatly wrapped rice balls with different stickers on them. She handed out the ones she started to list to her sisters. "Crab and mentaiko for Onee-chan. Kiku-chan gets karaage and chicken curry. I found a mild one. And for me..." She pulled out two of them. "Garlic chicken and ikura!" She put of a smug smile as she held onto her breakfast, making her sisters laugh more at her attempt to cheer them up.

"You really love ikura when you have the chance," Akane teased as she opened up one of the packages.

Tomoko pouted at the tease before pulling out a box of chocolate covered cookies in the shape of bamboo shoots. "I'm giving this to Kiku-chan since you've upset her, Onee-chan."

Akane feigned hurt as she fell to the side of the bench, her free hand on her chest. "I am so hurt by the betrayal~" This only prompted the three to laugh at the teasing between the two eldest before they heard a bell signaling an announcement.

 _Tokaido-Sanyo Line to Kyoto. Tokaido-Sanyo Line to Kyoto. Please approach Platform 4 for your train._

"Ah... That's ours." Akane quickly jumped up to her feet before digging the tickets out of her jacket pockets. The train sped through the platform before pulling to a stop, allowing them to find their car and seats. "Come on. We can eat in there."

The two quickly gathered their belongings from the bench before following their sister.

* * *

The sisters walked up to the large wooden gates that surrounded their grandmother's home, their family insignia burned into the wood. They jumped when they heard the wood creaking and the large gates opening. Two men clad completely in black with their faces obscured walked up to them before giving them a bow in greeting. The girls quickly returned the gesture before finding the men heading to the house in hopes the three would follow.

The three looked at each other before Akane shrugged. "Take-nii and Kaoru-nee are early, then." She started to follow the men, prompting her sisters to do the same as they approached the familiar mansion.

They were guided towards the living room where they found an elderly couple situated on a pair of cushions as across from them on the coffee table were two people who could be mistaken as siblings, both clad in red and black. Beside the young man was a woman not much younger than him dressed in yellow as she held a small toddler in her arms as she listened in on their conversation.

The elderly woman dressed in a traditional kimono took notice of the three girls and smiled before getting to her feet. "Akane. Tomoko. Kiku. It has been a while," she greeted before holding out her arms.

The girls took in the gesture and hugged their grandmother. "Happy Birthday, Obaa-chan," Akane said as she held onto her grandmother. She pulled away. "We figured it wouldn't hurt to drop by since we're on spring break."

"I'm glad. Come. Sit, sit. Takeru and his family have been keeping us company until you three arrive." She sat back down next to her husband as the trio claimed the empty side of the coffee table. The black-clad men who escorted them inside the house rested some tea in front of them.

The young woman in a red kimono softly smiled as Tomoko sat next to her, only for the MoriBlue to hesitate at her gaze. "I'm glad you're doing well, Tomoko. It has been a while."

"I-it's nice to see you again... K-Kaoru-neechan..." Tomoko nervously scratched her cheek, unsure how to approach the 18th Shiba Head in conversation.

The young Lady of the Shiba Clan could only find herself nodding in understanding, seeing how uncomfortable the girl is. She carefully snaked her hand under the table to gently rest it on Tomoko's in comfort, making her jump a little at the contact. "Tanba is absent today so you shouldn't worry about him," she said quietly. "I'm sure a harmless visit to your grandmother wouldn't be too much of an issue, anyway."

"Kaoru," the 19th Head chided from beside her. Kaoru shrugged before directing her attention back to the elderly couple. Takeru gave a bow to the three. "Please forgive my... mother for her behavior. She got a little too excited when she saw you three after so long."

Akane quickly shook her head. "It's fine. Really, Take-nii. It's actually nice to be able to properly talk to you again. Koto-nee and Kaoru-nee, too. We're really sorry for not calling or writing as often as we should have since you were all generous enough to teach Tomoko."

"We all have our reasons."

The group couldn't help but to feel the tension growing heavy over them, seeing how it may be a bit awkward between the young team and their family acquaintances. Hitomi looked at her granddaughters and took note of the hearing aids Tomoko wore and the yellow device around Kiku's wrist when she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She let out a sigh before resting her hands on the table and faced the girls. "How long?" she asked, breaking the silence.

The three looked at her, making her a bit cautious when their eyes changed into their respective colors from the confusion and possible worry about their guests sitting right in front of them. The Tanaka Head simply ignored their worry before asking a more specific question. "How long ago did Nightshift attack you girls?"

Akane's eyes started to dart between her grandmother, her sisters and then to the Shiba Family, unsure how to answer. She looked back at her sisters before taking in a deep breath. "About four weeks ago... I guess one of their servants was able to break through that seal and attacked us after school. Hiro saved us and explained everything." She nervously twiddled her thumbs before looking at her grandmother, unsure what she would say.

The elder simply sat back before wrapping her hands around her cup of tea. She took in a shaky breath which prompted her husband to take her hand to soothe her. She gave a nod to him in thanks before looking at the girls. "Are you all safe?" she asked, receiving nods. They noticed it wasn't enough when her voice became firm. "Are you all safe?"

Akane's eyes darted over to Tomoko for a second before back at her grandmother who noticed Kiku did the same. She gave a nod. "We're all safe, Obaa-chan. I can assure you that we are."

"Alright..." She shakily put her hands on the table before standing up. "I suppose I should take a walk. Akane. Kiku. Why don't the two of you walk with me? I am sure there are a lot of things we need to discuss."

Takeru quickly got to his feet. "I will come as well." He looked at his wife who had a worried look in her eyes. He rested a hand on her head in comfort before guiding the elderly woman out by the arm.

"Come on now," Hitomi said, making the two girls scramble to their feet and follow her. Tomoko was about to follow but Kaoru held her back, giving her a shake of the head to tell her that the four need to be alone. Tomoko reluctantly sat back down, smoothing out the skirt of her dress.

Once they heard the back door sliding close, Koujiro stood up with a deep breath. "I suppose it is time to prepare lunch. Now. I just had a fresh harvest this morning and I am willing to try out some old recipes. Who would like to help?"

* * *

Hitomi carefully trekked through the thicket of trees behind her home, Takeru's hand close to her back in case she was to fall. Akane and Kiku trailed behind, unsure what to say to the elderly woman after she asked that question.

"So when did you tell her, Akane? I'm curious," Hitomi said as they continued to walk.

Akane looked at her grandmother before letting out a sigh, seeing how they can't avoid the conversation. "Last week. Something got through to her and made me give in to her wanting to know. But I figured since we've been fighting some tough enemies, it's probably best to let her know."

"I see." She climbed over a large root.

Kiku nervously bit her lower lip as she looked between her sister and grandmother. "O-Obaa-chan. Does Take-nii know about this? All of this?"

"Of course. After they defeated the Gedoushu, Kaoru sat him down and explained it all to him since all Shiba Heads are supposed to know."

"Any reason why?"

"That is a story for another time. But just know that the two families have been close for generations."

"I... I see..."

The four reached a large clearing. The two noticed there was a large sakura tree in the center, the buds yet to bloom for another few days or so. At the base rested a small shrine surrounded by stone statues of seven animals: an owl and swan in the center, a wolf, mouse and rabbit on the right, and a bear and its cub on the left. A wooden plaque rested in the center of the shrine with the word "Kiseki" inscribed at the center. On the left and right were blurbs the girls couldn't make out unless they were to pick it up.

Hitomi gently clapped her hands together before closing her eyes for prayer. She reached into the left sleeve of her kimono before fetching out a small pouch. She reached inside to take out seven pieces of sugar candy and placed them in the small dish in front of the plaque. She prayed again before facing her granddaughters. "Inuko. Usagi. You don't have to hide yourselves," she said.

Akane and Kiku felt something move in their jackets before their MoriRobos jumped out and flew to the elderly woman, landing on her shoulders with happy chirps. The Tanaka Head simply smiled at their behavior. "It is nice seeing you, too." She looked back at her granddaughters before leading them to the other side of the tree, revealing a large stone bench. She took a seat, prompting the two to sit on either side of her. She looked over at Takeru who gave a small nod before moving to the side to keep watch.

"Obaa-chan. What is this place?" Kiku asked, only to have her grandmother rest a hand on her head. Usually she would whine and protest but given it's her grandmother, she shouldn't complain.

"It is a special shrine to the Tanaka Family. It is what links us to the Spirits that helps us awaken our innate powers. Like your mother, I was partnered with Haku; one of the wind spirits. Your grandfather and father were partners to the other spirit, Fuku. At the moment, no one has been located for their new partners for when you girls are in need of assistance."

"What about the two bears we saw with them?"

"They are the earth spirits. Kuu controls the earth while his little brother, Jou, controls the plants. Those two will be joining the battle once they find suitable partners."

"I-I see... I guess that means it will take more than the three of us to defeat this enemy..."

"There is power in numbers. You girls are still in need of training so your skills have yet to be perfected for such a battle. Nightshift is not an enemy to look over if they have been attacking for centuries. Kiku. What I am about to explain is something you must keep to yourself. Do not tell your sister until it is time for her to know."

Kiku nervously swallowed, knowing she has never seen her grandmother so serious before today. She was able to give a firm nod before Hitomi took her hand.

* * *

Tomoko carefully cut the carrots into thick slices, nervously glancing over towards Kaoru who was working on the onions. She pursed her lips, unsure what to say.

"It's already been a year since you three lived alone, right?" the ShinkenRed asked as she peeled her second onion. Tomoko jumped a little at the sudden question but quickly relaxed, knowing how the young samurai will tease her for the scare.

"Y-yes... We've been living in the city for almost a year... O-Ojii-chan and Obaa-chan had us stay here before the new school year started..."

Kaoru softly hummed in response, sensing the tension between the two of them. "Is it hard? Living with all three of you in school?"

Tomoko quickly shook her head. "W-we're doing okay. O-Onee-chan is working part-time to pay for necessities a-a-and I-I applied for a part-time job to help."

"That's good." She held up her knife before looking at Koujiro. "I thought you told me that you would send crops from your farm from time to time, Koujiro-dono," she said, humor and menace in her voice.

The elder didn't seem to be phased by her false threat, his eyes only concentrating on the large cut of meat he's slicing. "Every two months, Kaoru-chan. It's just a small garden so harvests can barely feed them. They're still growing. Look at Kiku. She's so tall like her father. I take it that even boys are intimidated of her. She has so much spunk in her."

"She seems to be terrified when she came in. Unless Tomoko scared her."

The MoriBlue's face turned red at the tease. "K-Kaoru-neechan! It wasn't like that!"

The Shiba Head giggled at her reaction. "I'm just teasing. But I'm glad you're all doing okay. Takeru has been fidgeting and has been contemplating on sending some of our kurokos over to lend a hand. But seeing all three of you managing well can put him at ease."

"Takeru-san has always been worried about you three whenever you visit," Kotoha said as she cut up some tomatoes. She couldn't help but to laugh as she continued," But he's always trying to keep that strong Lord behavior since Hitomi-san is always with us. He clings onto me whenever we get home since he couldn't hug you girls in front of her."

Tomoko couldn't help but to feel surprised at the information. "Is he really like that?" This earned a laugh from Kaoru who had to put her knife down before she could hurt herself.

"He's a giant cuddle monster when he's not acting like a Lord," the 18th Head laughed," He grew so soft after he started dating Kotoha that even Hikoma-san didn't even recognize him when he was playing with his son!"

"Don't tell him we told you this, Tomoko-chan," Kotoha grinned," He'll deny it and he doesn't want to do that in front of Takao-kun."

"I-I see..."

Koujiro softly smiled at the exchange, seeing how lively the room became when it came to talking about the 19th Head.

* * *

Dorgon looked up from the flames when a Teshita walked up to him, handing the elite a large book. The black leather and brown paper were tattered but in a good enough shape to use. He took hold of it before dismissing the servant, walking over to his large stone chair and taking a seat. He opened up the book and summoned a quill, gently tracing his free hand over the paper.

On the left page were photos of two people, a mysterious script next to them along with what could be descriptions of them. On the right were photos of the Morirangers in their civilian forms and their names. Dorgon readied his quill, jotting down what he knows about the three.

"The eldest has always been a fiery one when provoked. It's no surprise for her to be the partner of the fire spirit. I suppose the humans would call her the alpha of her pack. She should be the biggest obstacle between us and what we seek now that those two are gone." He started to scribble wolf ears onto the photo before looking at Tomoko's.

"A rather quiet type, but still as experienced as her sisters in terms of combat." He thought back to when Moakumu was sent to cause havoc. He let out a soft hum in thought, curious about the dark pulse the girl released when she was under the Ningengata's influence. "There is a lot of potential in that one. Perhaps we can use that negative energy to our advantage one day. Surely she is young enough to train into our ranks."

He then looked at Kiku before letting out a sigh. "A reckless child, this one. I'm surprised they would let someone that young to fight in life-or-death situations. But she is rather strong for someone her age. I don't suppose anyone that young would be able to take down one of our best shooters single-handedly."

He turned the page to find a new one that was mostly blank. The photos were missing but there were four sets of labels. "To have these appear in the book means we will be facing more obstacles for our goal. But-" He flipped back towards the sisters and looked at what seems to be a sentence that was scratched out under Tomoko's name. "Perhaps we may be nearing those memories we've lost during that battle. We just need to keep an eye on this little one." He traced his finger over Tomoko's photo, sensing some kind of familiarity with it.

* * *

"So we're really not human...?" Kiku asked as she gently petted Usagi with her thumb. "We're just...?" She trailed off, unsure if she could call herself by such a name.

"It's quite hard to believe, myself, Kiku-chan," Hitomi said," It makes sense since our family has always displayed great power for generations. It took quite some time for your parents to understand and accept it."

"When did you tell them that?"

"Sakura has always known that she was different from her siblings and that our family isn't like others. No family would risk their own lives fighting a force as evil as Nightshift without something special about them." Hitomi gently took hold of Kiku's hand, gently holding onto her Cuff. "Your father fought long and hard to find ways to lessen the risk to make it safer for future generations. He developed all of the technology before and after you were all born to keep you safe. He knew relying on our fast healing abilities would have their limits so he made sure that what you wear to fight would decrease the amount of damage you take in.

"Everyone knows we're different. But they choose not to say anything, especially those who have an idea of what we do. Your parents did not accept the idea until they had the three of you. Three beautiful little girls. That was when they swore to fight to protect you and make sure you can all fight. I'm sure the same will apply to the two of you once you have your own families."

The elderly woman slowly stood up. "I will give you some time to think about it. You do not have to give me an answer right away. I can wait weeks and months for it. But just know that if you ever have more questions or concerns about what our family does, I will be right here." She gave her granddaughter a gently kiss atop her head. "You have grown very well, Kiku-chan. I do hope that after you seal the enemy, you will make good use of your future." She made her way back to the mansion, Takeru holding onto her.

"Are you sure it's okay to let her know everything, Hitomi-san?" the ShinkenRed asked as he held the woman by her arm. He looked back to make sure the girls didn't hear them even if they were meters away.

"They have a rough battle ahead of them, Takeru. It's best if they know the truth in order to understand the weight of this never-ending war." She sighed. "Not really how I want to spend my birthday with them, but perhaps I'm much too old to celebrate. The more I count birthdays, the closer I feel to leaving them. They still need someone to guide them."

"I assume you still trust them in a way?"

"One of them will be the next Head of our Family in a matter of years and took the mantle of fighting this war."

"Shall I provide assistance?"

"You shall do it when the three of them request it. That's an order."

Takeru took in a deep breath before giving a reluctant nod. "Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Tomoko was about to finish setting up the table when she heard the back door open. She rushed over to greet them. "Welcome back." She soon noticed it was just her grandmother and Takeru. "O-Obaa-chan..."

Hitomi took notice of the girl's surprise and gave her an apologetic smile. "I was a little rough on them, Tomoko. They still need some time to think."

"I-I see..." Tomoko looked down as she twiddled her thumbs, seeing how it's quite serious for her sisters to be late. She soon gently smacked herself before looking at her grandmother. "L-lunch is ready if you're hungry. We made your favorite beef stew."

Hitomi softly smiled at the offer. "Thank you. We can save some for your sisters when they come back. Come on. Let's eat before it all gets cold."

* * *

Gentle clacking rang through the bullet train as Akane typed on her laptop, responding to emails and checking news blogs. She closed it before letting out a sigh. She carefully shifted in her seat to get into a more comfortable position, making sure she doesn't wake Tomoko who fell asleep with her head on the MoriRed's shoulder. Her gaze shifted towards Kiku who was leaning back in her seat, playing an RPG on her Switch. The young girl has been awfully quiet the rest of the day, mostly just putting on a false smile to not worry anyone.

She sighed, knowing it was mostly her fault. She was the one who told her everything and brought her to their grandmother who knew even more. The young girl always tries her best to be strong and independent so no one would worry about her, but Akane knew that there was still a child in her. Once she faces something unknown to her, she would just panic but not say anything.

"Did you accept it...?"

Akane looked at the younger girl who didn't take her eyes off her game. Unsure if she heard correctly, she let out a confused hum. "Hm?"

Kiku paused her game and rested it on her lap, slouching into her seat. "Did you accept it...? All of it...?"

Akane pursed her lips before leaning back in her seat, her gaze towards the top of luggage rack. "Not really... I've only accepted some of it because of what happened. Knowing it all after facing the harsh side of it made me realize how different we are. Why?"

The MoriYellow shook her head before picking up her game again. "Nothing... Just wondering..."

"Do you think you'll ever accept it?"

"No... Do you think Ji-nee will?"

Akane looked at their small sister who peacefully slept, now hugging the MoriRed's arm for security. "I'm not sure. She won't be ready to know by the time we tell her." She felt a hand taking hers and looked to find Kiku holding it, her Switch now turned off. She felt a tight squeeze but chose to not say anything, seeing the tears pooling in her sister's eyes. She softly smiled before rubbing her thumb over the top of her sister's hand. "Take your time. There's no limit on when you can accept it."

The bullet train continued to speed through the tracks as the three made their journey home. Soft breathing was heard as the three were fast asleep in their seats, taking in what may be their few peaceful moments in the next year or so.

* * *

 ** _A/N: So that was Chapter 4. I know it's really short compared to the previous chapters, but it's all in good reason. Chapter 5 is about the same length and I guess can be considered a Part 2 of this chapter given how Kiku's feelings about the topic is still open-ended. On another note, I did take the advice about the Monsters of the Week and a few chapters will be solely drama and interactions between the girls and surrounding chapters. From the way I've been writing it out, I might not even have a fight until about Chapter 6. There will be some action but it's more of sudden bursts rather than an actual fight in Chapter 5._**

 ** _A reply to GaoGod: I do agree about the mental-based monsters. I do have quite a few future chapters that deal with psychological and emotional pain similar to Chapter 2. And I am definitely taking your advice about not needing a monster every chapter. My brain actually cannot develop so many monster designs compared to the creators over at Toei. I have no idea how they do it._**

 ** _And the translations!_**

 ** _Ojii-chan and Obaa-chan refer to grandfather and grandmother. I will be mentioning the two senior characters a few times throughout the series due to their role. They're the knowledgeable elders who guide them from a distance in a sense.  
"-dono" is an honorific that is often used for lords, but does not equate high authority. I was going to use "-sama" at first but I think it would be too formal when it's between Princess ShinkenRed _**_**and Koujiro and she was mostly just fooling around when she was using it. The reason why I would place them on equal footing would be described much later in the story.**_

 _ **So what did you think of the fourth chapter? I know it's a lot of word vomit... and next chapter might also have a lot of word vomit... But it's all in good reason because it builds up this whole family secret thing and how they're going to handle everything and deal with balancing their lives with fighting. Remember. They're between 13 and 19 years old. There's a lot of crazy stuff happening. But I'd really like to know what you guys think and how to improve more with the story.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: Yeeeeeeep... Chapter 5 came out much more sooner than previous chapters. The only reason being that I was working on this the same time as Chapter 4. Chapter 6 will be taking much longer, though, as I still need to figure out what kind of plot I should use that these two have built up. I just know that a later chapter is already finished and is a pretty good Akane-centered chapter. You guys just have to wait and find out._**

 ** _So without further ado, here's Chapter 5!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Super Sentai. I only own my original characters and the plot._**

* * *

Tomoko carefully fixed the white apron of her maid uniform before inspecting herself in the mirror, fixing her hair to make sure there wasn't any stray strands sticking out. She straightened her back when she found everything in place before gently pumping her fists. "Okay... I can do this..."

She hastily left the staff room and went into the café where she found many girls dressed as maids and a few boys as butlers. She tensed when they all looked at her upon her entrance.

A pair of hands clapped together before a large burly man entered in a chef uniform. He stood next to Tomoko before facing his staff. "Kids. I'd like to introduce Tomoko Tanaka. She's the new maid I was telling you yesterday so please welcome her."

Tomoko jumped when he tapped her shoulder to introduce herself. "I-I-I'm Tomoko Tanaka... I-it's nice to meet you..." She gave a small bow.

"She will be joining us on all of our afternoon shifts this week for training so make sure to keep watch of her. Let's see... Ah. Kobayashi and Kishiyama. You two will be watching her throughout this week."

A maid and butler walked up. "Yes, sir!"

"Okay. We have twenty minutes until we open. Let's get everything set and show her the basics and we'll be on our way."

"Yes, sir!" the staff chorused before continuing with their work.

Tomoko nervously looked around, taking note that everyone has automatically assigned themselves various tasks for opening. She jumped when the maid and butler her manager called walked up to her.

The maid held out her hand. "Name's Miko. I'm one of the Head Maids for part-timers." She gently shook Tomoko's hand. Once she let go, the butler took her hand.

"Call me Gin. I'm one of the Head Butlers. Manabe-san trusts us with your training so if you have any questions, feel free to ask us. We have been training all of the part-timers so feel free to come to us for any problems."

"O-okay..." Tomoko tensed when she noticed Miko was looking at her from head to toe, examining her.

"Hmm... Tenchou said you're one of those shy types. I'll assign you to some of our regulars who are comfortable with your type and we can test from there." She soon noticed Tomoko's eyes were a dark orange. "Hm? Your eyes...?" She carefully studied them. "Are they contacts?"

Tomoko quickly shook her head. "Th-they just change colors..." She soon remembered something and reached into her pocket. "U-um... I was told to write a list of them so... um... so everyone won't be too surprised..."

Gin took hold of the piece of paper. "Hmm... That seems pretty useful. Hopefully they won't change color so often so it won't scare the customers."

"O-okay..."

"Well. Let's get started on taking orders and how to speak to customers. You can watch us for the first few and we'll let you handle some so you can get a grasp on it."

"O-okay."

* * *

Kiku laid down on the living room couch as she played with her Switch. "So Ji-nee's starting her new job today?"

"She said she's going to be working all week to get a hang of it before they give her a proper schedule to work with," Akane said as she typed on her laptop. "I talked to the manager to ask about it and he said that anyone can do it if they put in the effort."

"What kind of job is it?"

"A maid café."

Kiku sat up and looked at her sister. She blinked a few times, unable to believe that their quiet sister signed up for that kind of job. "Are you serious?"

"As serious as Hoji-san."

The MoriYellow slumped a little at the sarcastic answer. "N-not what I meant. But you know... Ji-nee working as a maid? Will she even be okay working with customers?"

"Hmm..." Akane pulled up security footage of the café. "Well it's just Stars so she should be okay. Uniforms are just for show."

"If you say so..." Kiku soon noticed her sister no longer typing and quickly went to her side to look at what's on the screen. "Ah. She's already started working."

* * *

"W-welcome to Stars!" Tomoko greeted as a customer entered the café.

"Ah. A new maid?" he mused as he looked at her. "Well I hope you do well, Chibi-chan."

Tomoko's face turned red at the pet name before she quickly held her hand up to gesture to the café. "P-please let me show you to your seat." She carefully maneuvered through the café, offering an empty table.

 _[She's so nervous.]_

 _[As expected, actually. At least she's doing fine.]_

Tomoko carefully set down the pitcher of water as the customer looked over the menu. "W-would you like some time to go over the menu before you order, sir?"

"Hm? If you don't mind."

"I-I understand. I-I will be back shortly to take your order." She tightly held the metal tray to her chest before weaving through the tables.

 _Hmm... This doesn't seem right..._

She paused upon hearing the voice, her eyes a mixture of green and pink. She looked around but noticed the patrons weren't paying any attention. "W-was I just imagining things...?"

 _I'm hungry but everything is either too light or too heavy._

She looked around again for the source of the voice, only to find a strange pink light surrounding one of the customers. "E-eh...?" More light appeared as she looked around.

 _Uwa! This strawberry is too sour!_

 _I wonder if their parfaits are good._

 _Please let this date go smoothly..._

Tomoko felt the room spinning as many voices scattered through her head. She stepped back but was quickly caught by one of the maids.

"Tomoko? You okay?"

She tensed when she noticed it was Miko and quickly shook away the sudden dizziness, allowing her eyes to turn back to their usual grey. She noticed the pink lights disappeared as well. She let out a small sigh of relief before looking at her senior. "I-I'm okay, Miko-senpai... I-I guess I got nervous for a second... S-sorry to worry you... I-I'll help the customers right away." She held the tray close to her chest before walking through the café, only to spot a customer that was focused on the menu in her hands. She noticed it was one of the tables she was assigned to and made her way over.

She paused upon realizing she has to find a way to get the customer's attention and politely ask. "I-is everything alright, miss?" she asked, making the customer jump a little at the question, making her jump as well.

"Oh. Sorry about that. I was just having some trouble picking something out. Sorry if I'm taking up your time."

Tomoko quickly shook her head. "I-it's really okay. There's no need to apologize..."

"I see." The customer closed her menu with a sigh. "I really can't make up my mind. Chibi-chan." Tomoko jumped at the nickname.

"Y-yes?"

"Do you have any recommendations? I want something filling but most of the options seem too light or heavy for me. It's hard to make my decision and I don't want to be hungry when I get home."

Tomoko hesitated as she tightly held onto her tray, trying to think of the menu options. "Something filling but not too heavy... something just enough for her to be full for the rest of the day... Our options are small for filling foods... Hmm..." She rested her finger on her chin as if to think.

 _[That lady's asking for the impossible...]_

 _[Let her think, Kiku. And customer. She's a customer. Know your manners.]_

 _[Ugh. Yes, ma'am~]_

"U-um... May I recommend the egg sandwich with a side of potato salad?" Tomoko asked, slightly tilting her head as she looked at the customer.

The customer looked at her, surprise and confusion evident. "Egg sandwich? Isn't that a bit too light?"

Tomoko lowered her tray to a more relaxed position as she tried to explain the items. "Stars Café uses thicker cut bread and the sandwich also includes lettuce and tomatoes if you'd prefer. If you would like a heavier filling, we do have a karaage sandwich which also includes a side of potato salad as a refresher."

The customer softly hummed as she thought about the options given to her. "Now that you mention it, that does seem like a reasonable choice." She smiled. "Then I'll have the karaage sandwich and an iced tea."

"Would you like a lemon wedge with your iced tea?"

"If you don't mind."

Tomoko couldn't help but to smile, happy to have her recommendation accepted. "I will do my best!" She gave a small bow. "I will put your order in and will be back with your drink."

"Thanks much." The customer allowed Tomoko to take the menu before the small girl made her way to the counter to put in the order.

"Tenchou-san. We have an order for Table 5. One kaarage sandwich and an iced tea with a lemon wedge."

"Thanks much, Tanaka." Manabe wrote down the order with his free hand on a notepad as he continued prepping more orders. One of the assistant chefs handed her a glass of the tea. She accepted the drink with her thanks before making her way back to the customer.

"Your iced tea. I will be back shortly for a refill and your sandwich."

"Thank you, Chibi-chan. Good luck with the rest of your first day."

"Will do!" Tomoko turned to help the rest of her customers, only to find some of them looking at her.

"That's adorable."

"The new maid is so tiny and cute."

She felt her face becoming red and quickly hid it behind her tray. "P-please excuse my behavior!"

"KAWAII!" the café cheered, making her sink deeper into embarrassment.

Gin clapped his hands. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen. No need to tease our new staff member," he said. He looked over towards Tomoko. "You can resume your work. Do your best, Chibi-chan."

Tomoko's face turned redder at hearing the nickname again but straightened her back and lowered her tray. "Y-yes, sir!"

* * *

Tomoko let out a sigh as she hung up her uniform in her locker. "At least the first day is over..." She zipped up her jacket before looking in the mirror on the locker door, only to notice her eyes were now a mixture of yellow and blue. She pursed her lips, recalling the pink light she saw. "I wonder what that was... It never happened before..."

A pair of hands creeped up behind her before grabbing her sides, making her yelp and turn to find a girl in a red hoodie and jean shorts. Her dark brown hair was pulled up into a ponytail and her dimples showing at the corners of her lips as she smiled. Tomoko blinked as she recognized her, her eyes now a light orange. "H-Harue-san..." She took hold of her purse and fixed it over her shoulder. "Wh-what brings you in here? We're closed."

The girl put on a false pout. "Star Café allows some leeway for their parent company's clients. Got word that you started working here and thought I'd pop in and walk you home."

"I-I see..." Tomoko gently closed her locker before looking at the idol. "Th-thank you for the offer, Harue-san..." She started to walk out of the café with the older girl, giving her farewells to the manager who was doing a last-minute check on the building.

"So..." Harue leaned forward to look at the MoriBlue. "How was the first day, Chibi-chan?"

Tomoko's face flushed at the nickname and looked away. "I-I'd rather not talk about it..."

Harue laughed before straightening herself. "You are the smallest maid according to what Manabe-san told me when I came in. Makes sense that some customers would refer to you as a nickname like that to call you. But really. How was it?"

"I-I guess it was okay. It got a little easier for me when I was able to get an order properly... Usually Miko-senpai or Gin-senpai has to step in to help."

"It takes time and you can't really get it on your first day. I'm sure you'll be running through that place like a pro in a few weeks."

"Th-that's a little too soon for me, Harue-san..." Tomoko murmured, embarrassed by the possible praise.

"Why not? Akane's a part-time manager and she just finished her first year of college. I'm sure you'll be able to catch up to her in a matter of time."

 _"Besides... I need those two to actually talk to you again as soon as possible..."_

Tomoko looked at the idol and noticed her smile became solemn. Her eyes turned blue as she faced forward, her gaze towards the ground in front of her. "I-I guess I can try..."

* * *

Chiyu jumped off the bed in a panic when Tomoko fell face first onto the comforter, burying her face into the soft fabric. The small robot looked at her partner before jumping onto the bed once more and pulling on a lock of hair to get the girl's attention. Tomoko turned her head a little so she could have a glimpse of the robot, only for Chiyu to let out small chirps as if to talk.

The MoriBlue sighed before sitting up on her bed, gently holding onto the robot that looked at her. "Chiyu-chan. Do you think I can be strong enough to make friends again?" she asked softly, her finger petting the mouse's head.

Chiyu tilted her head in both directions before letting out a happy chirp. Tomoko softly laughed at her optimism. "I see." Her smile turned solemn as she remembered what she heard from the idol. "I wonder if I can really be friends with them again... Kyo-chan and Chi-chan..."

The small robot tilted her head before taking hold of Tomoko's thumb, holding on tight as if to comfort the girl. Tomoko looked at the robot, sensing its concern. "Thank you, Chiyu-chan. I guess I needed that." She carefully rested the robot onto her pillow before laying down on her stomach to look at her partner, propping herself up by her elbows.

"Ne, Chiyu-chan. Can I tell you something?" The robot quickly nodded, curious of what her partner has to say. Tomoko carefully reached for her hearing aids. "Onee-chan told me that these would help me with my enhanced hearing. She said it's a prototype because Hiro is working on hers and Kiku-chan's. But she said mine are different so they needed a prototype to be completed as soon as possible. She said something about reading minds like Jasmine-san so they block special waves so I don't read minds. Do you know that one Ningengata that can create illusions? Onee-chan gave me these to fight against his powers and said to not worry about reading minds." She tightly gripped her blanket her gaze casted downwards. "I know I started developing it after that fight... but now it feels like I'm starting to hear what people are thinking... I don't know how to tell her about it... I don't want her to worry so much about me, but I don't know what to do about these powers..." She looked at her partner. "What do you think, Chiyu-chan?" She noticed the small robot turned away from her, her tail lightly swaying. "Chiyu-chan?"

The robot looked at before jumping onto her desk and burying itself into the makeshift house set up. Tomoko's teeth bit into her lower lip, unsure what that reaction was. She sat up to looked at her feet. "S-sorry, Chiyu-chan... I guess I asked something I'm not ready for yet..." She went to her door to turn off the lights, allowing a lamp to automatically turn on. She climbed into bed but gently rested a hand on her partner's home. "Goodnight, Chiyu-chan... I guess we can talk tomorrow..." She turned off the lamp and laid down.

She looked up at ceiling, taking in glow-in-the dark stickers set up that look like stars. It was something her father set up for her when they couldn't find a proper outlet for a nightlight that could help her sleep. It helped her as a child for when she couldn't sleep and needed something lit to make her feel safe.

She let out a soft sigh as she counted the constellations he set up, hoping to fall asleep soon. "Even Chiyu-chan avoids it... I hope I can tell Onee-chan... See if she can help..." She closed her eyes before drifting off to sleep.

Outside, Akane pulled away from the door when she heard her sister sleeping, her irises a deep red before turning back to their usual chocolate brown. She sighed before checking her Cuff, an email popping up on the holographic screen.

 _Make sure to bring her over if she has any issues with them. Your father wanted to make sure they're completely controlled until she knows how to use them. -Hiro_

She slouched back into the wall before pulling up a keyboard, typing in a response.

* * *

Kiku let out a yawn as the three walked into the family company. "It's still spring break, Nee-chan... Why are we in the Lab so early...?" she whined, her back slouched from exhaustion.

"Tomoko and I have work today and tomorrow so I can't really wait to bring you guys here so it has to be now." This received a groan from the MoriYellow, making Akane roll her eyes at her sister's childishness.

They walked to the receptionist who greeted them. "Good morning, Akane-san. Tomoko-san. Kiku-chan," she said, nodding her head to each sister.

"Good morning," the three said.

"Is Hiro-ojisan in yet?" Akane asked, making the woman type into her computer.

There was a small chime and she gave a nod. "He's in the Lab downstairs. He said he's expecting you three in the Examination Room 2. Shall I turn off the alarm when you go down?"

"We have it covered. Thank you, Kishimura-san."

"No problem. I'll send him a message that you're on your way."

Akane gave an affirmative nod before leading her sisters to the elevators. She rested her thumb on the up button but rather than pressing it, she let her thumb rest on it until she heard three beeps.

 _Fingerprint recognized. Requesting elevator._

One of the elevator doors opened and the three stepped in. Once the doors closed, a strange machine connected to a mechanical arm popped out of the panels that held the floor buttons. It scanned the three's faces before creating three fingerprint panels. They rested their thumbs on the panels before they heard a beep.

 _Access granted. Welcome to the Lab. Akane. Tomoko. Kiku._

The doors opened to reveal dark rooms with walls lined in rubber and blue light strips that indicated pathways, doors and built in tables. Several workers in lab coats were hustling and bustling about, walking past the front desk with boxes, papers and robotic parts. When they heard the elevator, they stopped what they were doing and faced forward with their right hands raised to their heads for a salute if it was free.

Akane sighed, seeing how it's mandatory when facing daughters of the company's founder. "At ease," she said, making them all return to work. She looked at her sisters who were still taken aback by the gesture before nodding her head towards where they had to go.

They made their way to the east hallway, taking hold of the access cards held out by the robot standing at the entrance. They walked down the hall before a light up sign popped out with the room number. They went inside where they found their uncle waiting for them, a tablet in hand.

He turned when he heard their footsteps and smiled. "Welcome back, girls. Glad you could come in today." He clicked on an icon before three chairs popped out of the wall and rolled over to the girls, allowing them to sit. "Is everything good? Nothing wrong with your weapons or your uniforms?"

"They're fine, Hiro-ojisan," Akane said as she leaned back in her chair. "But you saw my email and you said everything is prepared until the next upgrade."

Hiro pursed his lips, taken aback a bit by how his niece doesn't want to waste time. "Of course. Sorry. I just wanted to properly talk to you girls after a while. But yes. I do have everything you requested prepared." He clicked another icon before two robots appeared with trays on their heads, stopping just next to the man. He took hold of the girls one that had what looked like glasses cases in black trimmed with the girls' colors. "These are for you to wear everyday." He handed them out.

They all opened the cases to find glasses in their respective colors. Akane's were rectangular in shape and gave off more of a sophisticated vibe. Tomoko's were a little rounder but were just enough to cover her eyes if she were to put them on. Kiku's were large frames, something meant to be worn more for style than improving eyesight. They put them on and notice there wasn't any changes to their vision.

"Those glasses were created to camouflage your eyes. Some of the energy your partners allowed us to gather line the lenses so that anyone on the other side do not see them change color. Tomoko's were a little trickier and needed a thicker coating since she has a wider variety of color. Your parents told me that whenever you access your powers or when your emotions are so powerful, they change color. We had the feeling that, because you girls have started fighting, your body will begin to develop your innate powers more and cause your eyes to change color more often than they have in the past. It will also help you control your eyesight as it may enhance over the course of the battles and cause headaches."

"At least we won't have to face any weird questions about it," Kiku muttered as she snapped the case closed. Tomoko gave a small nod, seeing how her eyes always raised questions. Perhaps it will help with preventing awkwardness at work if they change more often.

"Now on to Item Number 2." Hiro took hold of the second tray where it held smaller metallic cases. Akane quirked an eyebrow as she recognized them, Tomoko as well. Their uncle handed out the cases to Akane and Kiku. "Like your glasses, I'd prefer if you girls wear these everyday as well."

Kiku opened up the case to find yellow hearing aids. Her eyebrows raised before she looked at her uncle for an explanation.

"Unlike normal hearing aids, these will limit your hearing. Like your eyes, your senses will continue to improve, hearing included. To make sure the volume of the person next to you isn't too loud or you do not want to hear the faintest of sounds, these can help you adjust to a more comfortable hearing volume."

"And now I look both blind and deaf. Great..."

Akane nudged her sister's arm with her elbow at the sarcasm. "I don't like it, either, but live with it for the next few months."

"Mmhmm... Sure..."

Tomoko nervously looked at the last case, seeing how her uncle hasn't given it to her yet. The man took notice before nervously looking at her sisters before back at the small girl. He opened up the last case before rolling his seat closer to her, catching Akane and Kiku's attention. He held out the aids to her.

"Get these ready because I don't know how much of that power has developed. You think you can do that?"

Tomoko hesitated and looked over at her sister who gave an encouraging nod. She looked back at her uncle and nodded. He placed the aids into her hands before taking hold of the ones in her ears. He carefully took them out but Tomoko heard a loud screech once they were off. She dropped the aids in her hands and covered her ears, bending forward from the pain as many voices flooded her head.

 _That's the wrong formula._

 _Why am I here on an early shift again?_

 _I wonder what the girls are doing here today._

 _Damn! How do I fix this thing?!_

 _J-Ji-nee...?_

"Tomoko!" Akane took hold of her sister before making the girl face her. "Tomoko. Tomoko, look at me."

Tomoko weakly opened her eyes, only to see pink light everywhere as a faint silhouette was in her view. Akane noticed her eyes were a mixture of green and pink and were hazy. "Tomoko. Focus on me. Come on. Focus on me. Deep breaths. Deep breaths."

Tomoko started to do as took and took in shaky breaths, only to wince when a louder screech was heard. Akane took hold of her hands before gently prying them off. "Tomoko. Breathe. It will be over soon. Nod if you can hear me." She noticed the small girl nodded. "Okay. Trust me. Okay. Let go of your ears and Hiro-ojisan will put your new hearing aids on. Okay?" Another nod. "Okay." She carefully pulled Tomoko's hands away from her ears and Hiro quickly attached the aids to her ears.

The screeches stopped and Tomoko slouched forward, Akane holding her shoulders to keep her up. Her breathing became heavy and her hand went to her head. She shakily lifted her head to look at her sister who let out a relieved sigh before pulling her into a hug.

"You're okay. You're okay..."

Kiku tightly held onto the edge of her seat before standing up, glaring at her eldest sister. "Since when did this happen?" she questioned," Ji-nee's telepathy shouldn't be this powerful."

Akane hesitated as she held onto Tomoko. "Even I don't know..."

"Your powers are probably growing at an exponential rate," Hiro explained," Fighting the enemy allowed your powers to awaken more so it would be easier to fight."

"How the hell is it supposed to help if we can't control it? If Ji-nee can't control it." Kiku glared at her uncle, her eyes turning yellow behind her glasses. "What? Am I going to suddenly jump twenty feet into the air next week and wear giant ass metal boots to keep me down?"

"Those are under development."

"That's not what I meant, Hiro-oji!"

Akane took hold of her sister's arm to stop her. "Kiku. Calm yourself."

The MoriYellow pursed her lips, her cheeks slightly puffed before she stormed out of the lab. "I'm going to the simulators! Don't bother me!"

"Kiku-chan..." Tomoko stood up to follow but a headache stung through her head. Akane took hold of her before setting her back into her seat.

"Don't push yourself." She stood up and looked at her uncle. "I'll talk to her. Keep an eye on Tomoko for me." She started to leave until Hiro called out to her.

"You told Kiku everything, didn't you?" he asked.

Akane stopped at the question. Her hands clenched and she gave a small nod. "Only way for her to understand everything." The door slid open and she stepped out.

* * *

Kiku punched a holographic Teshita in the face, disintegrating it. "What good will limiters do...?!" She shot at another with her left hand before using her weapon to hit a third. "They won't let us control it...!" Sparks surrounded her eyes before she performed a swift kick, knocking the Teshita into the wall. It crashed into the metallic wall and disappeared, revealing a large dent. Her eyes widened in shock before she looked at her foot, only for sparks to surround it. "What the...?"

"You were right about the jumping power," Akane said as she leaned against the door. "But rather than jumps, it's more of leg strength."

Kiku looked at her before swiping her hand over her Cuff, making the remaining holograms disappear.

 _Simulation End._

"Were you always this angry after I told you?"

Kiku's fists clenched as she looked at the ground. "How else am I supposed to feel? We're not human, Nee-chan! Our eyes change, we can hear cars from miles away and see them! Now I can freaking kick holograms hard enough to dent a steel wall! How the hell can we control these things if we have to limit them with this shit?!"

* * *

Tomoko tightly held onto the edge of her seat. "Kiku-chan has been like this ever since we went to Kyoto. She barely looks at me whenever my eyes change... She didn't even want me to work because of my eyes and powers..."

"It's a lot of information for someone her age. Teenagers tend to be fragile," Hiro said as he looked through his tablet. "But there's a certain resolve to make Akane tell your sister everything."

"Is it really that important to not tell me?"

"They're waiting for the right moment. Out of all three of you girls, you had the strongest emotions and became fragile given your past. That fragility made your parents choose on keeping all of this a secret from you because there's a huge responsibility behind it. Your sisters only know so they can be ready for the moment they reveal everything to you. Your grandparents as well."

* * *

"You ever wonder why our parents allowed us to choose our fighting styles?"

Kiku scoffed at the question. "I whined and complained my way to shoot a gun."

"But rather than giving you a regular shooting instructor and putting you into a class, they chose Hoji-san."

"What's the difference? S.P.D. worked with the company in terms of equipment. I only just found out that Hoji-sensei accepted me as a student so we can protect Ji-nee. Ji-nee has Kaoru-nee and you have SCRTC teaching you. I don't doubt they said yes for the same reason as Hoji-sensei."

"Ever felt something strange when you trained? A sudden wave of power coursing through your body as you improved?"

Kiku thought for a moment, recalling some small jolts through her body when she first fired a rifle. It was large but harmless yet she noticed the sudden surge allowed her to fire at the center of the target. Hoji never really said anything, but it was probably due to him keeping everything a secret from the young girl. She gave a small nod. "Just a little..."

Akane sighed before taking out the ring she had when they first fought. The company returned it to her after improving the specs. "Okaa-san gave me this when she told me. She said it could only be used in case of an emergency. I never understood what she meant until we saw that Ningengata. She brought me here to show me what she meant." She slipped the ring on, only for flames to surround her arm almost instantly. Kiku backed away when she saw the fire. "The spirit energy used to help us fight... Only five percent of our fighting power is from the Spirits we're partnered with. They just give us the ability to summon our powers better." The flames started to die out. "I've actually been able to summon fire by myself once before she told me everything. It was mostly because I was blinded by rage because I couldn't protect our little sister, but it was all me. I never received help from Inuko to summon them."

"When was that...?"

Akane's gaze lowered as she recalled the memory. "A few moments after I found out she was kidnapped... You were under Hoji-san's watch so you never knew until after I calmed down."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Akane let out a short laugh. "Tell a little nine-year-old that her big sister was covered in flames and attacked her own family? You wouldn't believe me and thought I went crazy."

"Well when you put it like that..." Kiku looked up at the ceiling in thought. "But that still doesn't answer your question about our fighting styles or needing to limit ourselves."

"Emotions can be powerful. Anger can create catastrophic results when it comes to our powers. The Lab designs all of these to help us hide and control our powers. We can adjust these to make sure they won't get out of hand and learn how to hold back when it comes to hiding ourselves."

Kiku looked back at her feet, recalling the sparks that surrounded them. "Does that mean I have to wear weights so I won't do that again?"

"If it feels like they'll get out of hand, you probably will."

"Have you've worn anything ever since you got out of control?"

Akane nodded. She lifted her left leg to reveal a red strap with a metallic box attached. "This is just for emergencies so it was okay for me to take it off from time to time."

"How were you able to control it?"

"Secret training sessions. Shishou agreed to meet here to make sure my Jyuken was polished. It was a way of making sure I can control the fire output whenever I fought. In a way, our weapons are limiters since they absorb our powers to use for combat."

"That would explain why they're so concentrated..." She kicked herself off the wall before walking forward towards the center of the room. She turned on her heel to look at her sister. "We have four months, right...? Before we tell her...?"

Akane pursed her lips before giving a nod. Kiku took in a shaky breath before clenching her fists. "Teach me, Nee-chan... How to control this power and help you protect her..."

Her sister looked at her before sighing. "I can't hold back during this, you know." She reached down and took off the ankle strap. Flames surrounded her arms to create claws. "Remember that." She charged before swinging.

Kiku summoned her bayonet and quickly blocked the strike. She gripped her weapon with both hands and looked at her sister, only to find flames in her eyes. "Guess you're really serious about not holding back." Her eyes turned yellow before pushing her sister back.

* * *

Tomoko looked up from her cup of tea when she heard some of the lab assistants running past the room. She looked at her uncle who was also confused of the sudden bustling from his workers. She put her cup of tea back onto the tray before rushing out of the room, pushing past several assistants to reach a large monitor that showed what's happening in the simulation room.

"They're really going at it."

"This would explain why they want to keep the Lab a secret."

"Onee-chan... Kiku-chan..." Tomoko ran to the simulation room and quickly pressed the button to open the door, only for an Error to pop up.

 _Simulation Room in use. Conditions are too dangerous to enter. Please come again._

Tomoko looked at the error before banging her fist against the door. "Onee-chan! Kiku-chan!"

* * *

Akane turned at the call but refocused on Kikiku who raised her leg for a kick. She dodged just in time before kicking her sister off her feet. She pointed her claws at her younger sister's face, ending the battle. Their breathing was heavy from the fight.

 _"Onee-chan! Kiku-chan!"_

The two looked at the door when they heard their small sister. Kiku fell back and rested an arm over her eyes to block the light. "I give. Put that stupid thing on me already."

Akane pulled away and reattached the strap to her ankle, making the flames disappear. She held up her Cuff. "Send us Kiku's boots." After receiving a reply, she looked at her youngest sister. "Stay down. Getting up might have your legs go crazy."

"Yes, ma'am~" Kiku groaned, not moving from her spot.

Akane shook her head before opening the door, only to be greeted by a slap across the face. She looked at Tomoko, tears streaming down the smaller girl's face. "You shouldn't be fighting each other!" she shouted," You could have killed each other!"

The MoriRed looked at the small girl before letting out a sigh. She pulled her sister into a comforting hug. "It's just training. We're not hurt too badly."

"That doesn't make it any better... We're just learning about these powers..."

"It's okay to be worried. But it's for the best if we want to control our powers."

"But..."

"It's fine." Akane looked back at Kiku who sat up, the latter letting out a sigh before looking at her legs. Sparks were still surrounding them even as she's not moving.

* * *

Kiku slipped on a pair of combat boots before standing up. She did some small jumps before trying to jump high, only to go up her usual height. "Guess this will work..." she muttered before sitting back down. "Any chance I can have more shoes like these?"

"Not at the moment. We'll develop some that you can attach to your other shoes if you want." He took out a cuff that resembled her transformation one. "This is for your leg when you can't wear the boots. I figured you don't want that box Akane has since you're still in school."

Kiku accepted the Cuff before putting it into her pocket. "Thanks. Just have a lot of explaining to do when my friends see all of these when school starts again."

"Of course. Just let us know if you have any problems."

"Yep. Thanks again, Hiro-ojisan. Just know I'll be back with Nee-chan so we can train. This thing."

"Not a problem." He put away the tray and was about to take his leave when his niece called out to him.

"Will Ji-nee get more of these, Oji-san?"

Hiro took in a deep breath before looking at the MoriYellow. "We'll keep you up to date as her powers progress. She doesn't need any right now. We just have to wait and see when she finds out the truth." He took his leave, leaving the girl alone.

Kiku took in a deep breath before sighing. "Of course." She took out the cuff again and tightly held onto it with both hands. _"I'm not a kid anymore... As long as those guys are out there... As long as Ji-nee needs us..."_ She pocketed the cuff before heading out, only to find her sisters waiting outside the building. She softly smiled before walking over to them, wrapping an arm around Tomoko. "You have to get to work, Ji-nee! I'm going with!"

"E-eh?!"

"Stars has the best parfaits! Come on! I'll be your first customer of today!" She started to drag her sister off to the café, not taking "no" for an answer.

Akane watched the two leave and smiled. "Always putting on that front... But at least she understands everything." She started to follow, knowing she should get to work as well.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So what did you all think?**_

 _ **This chapter focuses a lot more on Akane and Kiku. The beginning portion with Tomoko was just a way of introducing everything since she did mention applying for a job last chapter. I wanted it to be a little light-hearted but lead up to how Kiku felt last chapter about everything yet still give an open-ended conclusion about her acceptance. She has the resolve to train and fight for Tomoko's sake but has yet to fully accept that part of herself.**_

 _ **A reply for GaoGod: The way they design monsters on a weekly basis will surely be a mystery but also genius. As for the 6th rangers, there definitely will be as hinted in the last chapter. I just need more chapters to build up to those moments and there will definitely be some more action in later chapters. Right now was just focusing on some of the familial issues between the three before we head over to introducing candidates.**_

 _ **Now for translations!  
**_

 ** _"Chibi" is often used to describe something or someone short. In Tomoko's case, she's the smallest of the team and staff so she would hear people calling her "Chibi-chan" from time to time. They don't wear name tags at her job and because customers don't know her name, they use the first thing that would differentiate her from the other maids. A future character will definitely call her "Chibi" when addressing her as a pet name._**

 ** _"Senpai" is often used to refer to an upperclassman. Usually you can find it in used in school but it can be used at work when it comes to referring to someone with more experience._**

 ** _Shishou would often translate as "Master". In Akane's case, her Master is her teacher in Jyuken who taught her how to fight. +20 points if you can guess her teacher. I've already addressed Kiku's and Tomoko's but Akane's will be revealed much later._**

 ** _Thanks for reading! Make sure to review if you'd like and tell me how to improve the flow or try to guess anything that could happen in the next chapters._**

 ** _Until next time!_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Okay. I was supposed to have this chapter published later, but the way the timeline worked was off due to how I was planning the chapter before and after. I had this idea with Akane and a giant plot point but it feels like it was too early so I will push that point to a later date. Another issue I had was that the chapter after this is Tomoko-centric and I wanted it to take place the first day of school and lo and behold, it was right in the middle of this chapter so I had to work around it and put it towards later. It's okay because I can easily make an excuse for the delay in the story. That pretty much settles the issues and I hope that the next chapter will take less than a month to finish... I dunno. Sometimes these are hard.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Super Sentai or any possible songs I will include in this chapter. I only own my original characters.  
And this is a warning: This chapter will include homosexuality. I know I should have included this warning in Chapter 1 but that was small. This one dives into the relationship more.**_

* * *

"Eh?! Sold out?!"

Tomoko looked up from her book when she heard a cry from the Base. She put her book down onto the coffee table before going downstairs where she found Kiku running her fingers through her hair. "Kiku-chan? What happened?" she asked, walking over to her younger sister. She stumbled back when the taller girl grabbed her waist and looking up at her with a pout.

"Ji-nee~ Rikka's National Tour tickets are sold out~" the MoriYellow whined. "I've waited all day for the website to open sales and they were gone as soon as I submitted everything~"

"Eh? All of the stops? Even Hokkaido?"

"Even Hokkaido!"

Tomoko gently petted her younger sister's head, aware that she's been looking forward to that concert for months. She was glad that the yellow warrior still managed to keep her childish tendencies. The younger girl even considered begging their uncle to use the company's jet to fly to another part of the country to attend.

"Ji-nee~ Help me with this~"

"It's in two months. I'm sure the website will update in case people can't make it or they have extras they didn't count. What is there to worry about?"

"She might lose her voice after that tour! Just like all of the other idols the past month!"

"Eh?"

Kiku flailed her arm against the table, pulling up a news channel when her hand hit a button. The headline on the red bar caught her attention. "'Serial prankster attacks idols, making them lose their voice from fear. Is this an end to idols?'…" the MoriBlue read. Her eyes turned violet behind her glasses. "Why would a prank scare them into losing their voices…?"

"That's why I can't miss the tour, Ji-nee~ That guy might attack Rikka before I can see her~"

"Kiku-chan. I'm sure Onee-chan will help. Try to be patient, okay?"

"Mou~"

The alarm rang through the house as red light flashed into the Base. Tomoko carefully reached over to the keyboard to pull up another screen, showing security footage of people running out of a building in panic. Her eyes widened when she found Teshitas chasing them. "An attack at Akiba Kultz… That should be close if we hurry…"

The door to the weight room opened, revealing to be Akane who fixed her jacket. "Kiku, you can worry about your idol later. Right now we have another one to save from Nightshift."

The two quickly stood upright. "Roger!"

* * *

"Rin-san! This way!" a stage hand shouted as he led an idol through the building, praying to spot an exit. The two stopped when they found themselves back on the stage, a monster waiting for them.

It seemed to be a monstrous female with white skin and glowing yellow eyes. Her head was adorned with a feathery top hat covered with red feathers and similar ones framed her face. Covering her body was a strapless leotard covered in green feathers and batched with knee high boots. Her arms had elbow length gloves with feathers hanging out from the bottom to resemble wings. A gold belt was securely wrapped around her waist with long red and yellow tail feathers. In her hands was a staff that was topped with a horn covered by a curved grey beak.

"My, my. It sure took a while to find corner you."

Snarls came from behind the two as the footmen cut down the stagehand and grabbed the idol by her arms. "Let go of me!" she cried, screaming for help.

The monster laughed. "Perfect! Just perfect! I certainly need an alto to add to my repertoire. Be prepared to never sing again, darling." She held up her staff as her eyes glowed. A loud screech came from the horn, emitting sound waves that struck the girl. They returned to the horn, making her eyes glow again. She arched her back in happiness. "Wonderful…" she murmured, her voice warped before returning to normal. "Hm?" She turned but was struck by a bullet of lightning. She fell off the stage and got back to her feet. "What the-?!" She looked at the back of the seats to find three figures, their faces covered by their helmets. "You…!"

"Ah. It's just a chicken lady," Kiku said, seeing the feathers.

"Who are you calling a chicken?!" the monster scowled. Her eyes glowed again, releasing another screech from her horn.

The three covered their ears from the sound, falling to their knees. Akane looked up as her eyes were glowing red, wincing from the pain the screech caused. "We're really dealing with this kind of Ningengata…?" she muttered. She heard a thud to find Tomoko on the floor, her uniform turning back to her baby blue sundress as she covered her ears. "Tomoko!"

She swiped her hand over her Cuff, summoning daggers that resembled her claws. She weakly got to her feet before throwing them, knocking the staff out of the monster's hands. She stepped forward as she felt the ringing in her head go away.

"How dare you?!" the monster scowled. She took in a deep breath before shaking her head. "No matter. I got what I wanted. I will deal with you brats at a later date." She raised her hand, making her staff return to her before she disappeared with her footmen.

Flames dispersed from the red warrior as she returned to her red windbreaker and jeans. She looked over at her sisters before at the idol on stage that cowered in fear of what happened. "Kiku, get Tomoko home so you guys can get treated. I'll take care of the girl."

"Got it…" The MoriYellow carefully lifted Tomoko to her feet before leading her out of the building.

Akane ran over to the stage towards the singer, bringing her to her feet. "Are you okay?"

The girl was in panic as she tried to speak, explaining her shock and what happened. The problem is: her voice didn't come out as she spoke.

The MoriRed's eyes glowed, realizing what the monster meant when she fled. "What the heck…?"

* * *

"Ningengata Benten. According to the records, she harnesses power through music and can use sound as her weapon."

"Thank God for hearing aids," Kiku sighed as she massaged her ears. "So what is a monster that takes powers from music doing at a concert and attacking the singer?"

"Stealing singers of their voices to use them as a weapon," Akane said," I tried talking to her and her voice is gone, speaking and singing. Much like the other victims."

"So how do we defeat her?" Tomoko asked," Our aids only control our powers so they probably can't protect us from her the entire time. They can't deflect the sounds and it might take a while before Uncle Hiro can make upgrades."

"We'll figure something out. But for now, we just need a list of all the performances happening within the next few days and protect the singer. We can corner her before she makes her way to her next victim."

Hiro pulled up another screen with a list of names and dates, some of them in red font. "I've gathered data from the internet to get the performances for the next month. Most of them cancelled from the scare on the news. The next one will be next weekend by a singer named-"

"Ttaru…" Akane's hands tightly clenched against her arms as she looked at the name, her eyes turning red. Her sisters looked at her in worry, knowing the name on the screen.

 _Hotaru Oshiro. April 10th._

* * *

"To think Benten would be caught after doing such a well-planned job," Dorgon murmured to himself as he looked at the flames. "The family truly isn't one to be taken lightly."

Benten knelt down behind the elite. "Please forgive me, Dorgon-sama. It appears I took a wrong step when I found my target. Perhaps it was too close to where they may be hiding."

Harpy walked up, her arms folded. "Hmph. You act as if they didn't hear your screeching. Even a deaf person can hear your tone-deaf mating calls miles away. And you've failed to get rid of those annoying twerps and just ran away like the chicken you are."

The monster stood up, her eyes glowing. "How dare you call me a chicken, you kiwi!" She raised her staff as if to strike, only to be stopped by a clawed hand.

"Now, now, ladies. Perhaps there are some good in the little scuffle between Benten and the Morirangers," Dorgon said, raising his free hand to his chin. "Although we have not engaged in battle with them for some time, what we have seen shows that these girls show signs of having the same powers as their parents. But even if their powers have awakened, it doesn't mean they have proper control." He let go of Benten's staff before facing her. "Why don't you go have a little fun and lure them out? Surely you've found a new voice that would be easy to target."

At this, the parrot-like creature bowed to him. "Y-yes, sir. Many of my potential targets have disappeared from the list due to their fear, but there is a stubborn one that will be making her appearance soon."

"Good."

* * *

Akane walked into a dance studio where many people were gathered, a few of them dancing to a song recording that played from the speakers nearby. She looked at the one in the center who had one hand near her lips to act as a microphone and her other hand moving along to the dance routine, her hair slightly bouncing with every step she took. "Ttaru. I need to speak with you."

The music stopped as the lead singer put her arms down to the side at the sound of the MoriRed's voice. She looked over, recognizing her friend's face. "Akane…" She nervously smoothed out the skirt of her costume, recognizing the look in her friend's eyes. She looked at the staff members and the dancers, a small smile on her face to ease their worry. "Can you let us be alone? She's a good friend mine."

* * *

The two sat against the mirrored wall, the idol changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt for comfort. "I see you've been busy," Akane said, looking around the room where she found many costumes and a large poster with a setlist.

"Concert is next week. We can't rest too much since the fans have waited so long for it."

"I know…"

Hotaru looked at her friend, only making the girl avoid her gaze. "You haven't talked to me ever since you started fighting monsters. Did I do something?"

"You didn't do anything, Ttaru. It's just… I can't be near you when I'm doing something crazy like this. This enemy knows my family and they've known us for so many generations that they won't stop until they destroy us. I can't let myself be near you if it means having you get caught in these battles."

The idol tightly hugged her legs, resting her chin on her knees and trying to fight the tears that started to form. "How do you think I feel…? You've lost your parents, Akane… They were my second parents after I lost mine to the same monsters you're fighting. You really don't think I'm scared of losing you, too? I've lost my family… I-I love my new sister and parents, but I can't lose you. You're always that headstrong girl who does what she can for her family. You were reckless and you have this animal inside you that only comes out when you're angry. I was the only person you've trusted with that secret because I was the only one it would react to. I'm scared I'm going to lose you and my little wolf…"

"I know… But like you said. I lost my parents. I almost lost my little sister because I wasn't strong enough. I'm scared I'm not strong enough to protect you if I stay close to you. I'm actually terrified right now because of this monster that's on the loose."

Hotaru looked at her, tears in her eyes. "Eh?"

Akane quickly wiped away her tears. The idol soon noticed her irises were red when she took off her glasses even for a brief moment. "There's a monster out there that attacks using sound. In order to get her power, she attacks singers and steals their voice. So many people have their voices stolen and you're going to be one of them if you don't cancel your show. I came here to warn you because this is something I can't ignore if it involves my best friend, if it involves my-" She stopped, hesitant on saying the word.

Hotaru got closer to her, wrapping her arms around her friend in comfort. "You always rejected it… Even when we started, you rejected it because of your duty… I don't blame you for that… But I just want you to say it once… Just for me."

"I… I can't… Not now… The enemy will find out about Tomoko soon and I don't want you to get caught in that mess. Our family is such a huge mess and I don't want you getting hurt because of it."

"I can wait. But just tell me when you're ready and I'll gladly wait." She let go before crawling over to her bag to fetch out an envelope. She sat back down next to the girl, holding out the envelope.

"What's this…?" Akane took hold of it.

"Front row tickets and backstage passes. Three of them. I was pulling some strings since it's my first solo concert outside the group and I wanted you to be there. You and both of your sisters."

"I thought the company doesn't allow this sort of thing."

"They don't. They told me if I really wanted to reserve these for my friends, I would have to push more hours on our variety shows and learn to eat crickets more often." She shuddered at the thought. "As if eating them twice was bad enough…"

The two looked at each other and laughed at the idea. "Well I am definitely proud of you. I just… I just don't want things to go bad between us… between you and your fans… If a monster attacks you, they'll think you're cursed and might not attend another solo concert."

"But I am the cursed member. It's my persona," Hotaru teased, making her friend laugh again.

"I swear, how did we end up being friends?"

"Because we're adorable and awesome."

Akane sighed before smiling at her friend. "You do know we could have snuck in instead."

"What's the fun of that? You get to have eyes on me the entire time with these passes just in case something goes wrong. And with your superhuman senses, you can definitely tell when danger is coming and get me out of there."

"I got it, I got it…" Akane looked at the passes before letting out another sigh. "Make sure to tell the others that it's safer to stay home. School just started and all of our schedules will be hectic. Those three might get caught, too, if they're there." She reached into her bag to take out a purple bracelet.

Hotaru took hold of it before looking at her friend. "Now it's my turn. What's this little thing?"

"Emergency bracelet. I asked my uncle to make some in case we have any loved ones that may be put into danger and it would send a warning to us if you are ever caught in any trouble. It changes color so don't worry if it won't go with your costumes during the concerts."

This only received a laugh. "Purple, huh?"

"Always your go-to. I have more for the others in case they ever change their mind."

"Well I'm grateful for that." Hotaru gently rested her forehead against Akane's, allowing their eyes to lock. "You're always my hero, wolfie."

Akane simply smirked at the nickname. "Must you always call me that?"

"Only when you're protecting me." The idol smiled again before leaning in, giving the MoriRed a soft kiss that was returned. She leaned in closer but found her friend pulling away.

"Let's… just not go that far for now… Wait until after I take care of the monster."

Hotaru bit her lower lip before giving a nod, knowing her friend is still unsure. "Yeah… Sorry if I went too far…"

"I-it's fine…" They heard a knock at the door, making Akane stand up. "I should go… I'll bring my sisters and we'll be your bodyguards, okay?"

"Yeah… sure." Hotaru brushed a lock of hair behind her ear but felt a peck on her forehead, making her face turn pink. "C-call me before then… Just in case."

"Yeah…"

* * *

"Whipped~" Kiku teased as the three were in the base. She was knocked off her seat by a red slipper.

"I am not," Akane scowled.

The young teen got back onto her seat, not taking her eyes off the eldest sister. "Yes, you are! You were supposed to talk her out of holding the concert and now we have tickets! If that's not whipped, I don't know what is!"

"But is it really okay for us to accept these? She's still putting herself in danger by holding the concert," Tomoko said worriedly as she looked at the passes.

"If anything, we hack the security footage to warn you girls in case you can't find her first," Hiro said," This might be our only chance of fighting her before her next target."

"I-I see…" Tomoko looked at her sister who was trying to hide her red face.

* * *

Akane looked up when she heard a knock at her door. "Come in."

Tomoko carefully opened the door before entering. "Onee-chan? Can we talk for a bit…?"

"Yea, sure." She spun in her seat to look at her kid sister who took a seat on the bed. "What do you want to talk about? Did something happen at school again?"

Tomoko quickly shook her head, deflecting any concern about the bullies. "I-I'm doing fine, Onee-chan. It's just… I'm worried about you and Hotaru-san. I'm worried something happened between you two."

"We're fine, Tomoko. I'm just keeping my distance for now. We can't risk letting anyone in our personal lives get involved so I'm giving her some space."

"She's been upset in her interviews lately… It's like she wanted to keep holding the concert so you can look at her…"

Akane looked at her sister. "What?"

"I know you two have been keeping your relationship a secret… Anyone who knows the two of you know about it. I know you want to stay away to keep her safe, but it just doesn't seem right… Takahashi-san has been telling me that Hotaru-san has been acting weirdly at concerts ever since we started fighting and I'm worried it's because of you avoiding her."

"I'm not avoiding her."

"Yes, you are." Tomoko stopped when she realized she raised her voice and cut her sister off. She looked down and fiddled with her locket. "I just… I want you to be happy, Onee-chan… You've given up so much for us… At least try to do something that's normal. We're that weird family that no one likes because our eyes change colors and we have these weird abilities that are hard to hide from everyone. Why can't you just admit your feelings to her already?"

"Tomoko, that's enough." Akane stood up and took hold of her sister. "These are adult problems right now. My responsibility right now is to lead the team and make sure you and Kiku are safe. I can't do that if I'm in a relationship with someone who shouldn't be involved. You have to understand."

Tomoko pursed her lips before standing up and taking her leave. She stopped at the doorway. "At least tell her the truth… You're always lying for everyone's sake…" She closed the door, leaving her sister alone.

Akane looked at the door before turning to her desk, her eyes falling on a framed photo of her and Hotaru at their high school graduation. She took hold of it, reminiscing on the memory. Her friend was in her third year as an idol so it meant spending less time together. It really surprised the MoriRed when she said she wanted to go to college with her. When she asked why, it was the same time they shared their first real kiss in the idol's bedroom. She felt something unknown to her in that moment, but knew she shouldn't due to what was going on in the Tanaka household at the time. Hotaru understood that she wanted to put her family first and resolve all of their problems before she can even think about going into a relationship. The same was for Hotaru who was told to keep any relationship a secret even if the supposed "idols should not date rule" didn't apply for her group.

They shared kisses and hang out whenever both weren't busy, but Akane never felt confident about making it official, especially when her parents died. Having to fight an enemy they never knew about only made her push her best friend away to keep her safe from all of the madness she's been through. There was just so much on her shoulders and she didn't want her friend to be burdened with it even if they promised to keep each other safe. It just didn't feel right to keep it all a secret after everything they've been through.

She set down the frame before resting her head and arms on her desk, looking at the cheerful smile of her friend. _"Ttaru…"_

* * *

Hotaru looked in the mirror as she fixed her hair, prepping herself for the concert. Her closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, calming herself. She felt a pair of hands on her shoulders, making her open her eyes and smile. "I thought you weren't going to come."

Akane smiled, gently stroking her friend's shoulders to ease her worry. "You're my best friend. I have to do what I can so support you." She gently hugged the idol from behind, her expression saddening as she remembered the possible attack. "Are you sure you want to go through with this? This one is pretty tough since our ears are so sensitive."

Hotaru gently leaned her head against the MoriRed's arm, taking comfort in the warmth. "I have faith in you, Akane. You were always there whenever I was in trouble as I have for you."

Akane's hold only tightened, her heart clenching at how sure the girl sounded. "You do know a hero can't save everyone."

"But I know mine will save me every time."

Akane looked down in worry before letting go, making her friend turn to face her. "Ttaru… I have to tell you something. Something important."

Hotaru looked into her eyes. She reached for the girl's glasses before taking them off, revealing red irises that showed burning flames. She replaced the spectacles before going to the door to close it, making sure no one could come in. She turned back to her friend, preparing herself for the worst. "You were saying-" She was cut off when the MoriRed's arms wrapped around her neck and pulled her into a kiss. Her eyes widened in shock from the sudden gesture but eased into it, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around her friend, deepening the kiss.

The two pulled away in need for air, their faces flushed. Brown eyes met as Akane suddenly felt at ease at Hotaru's soft and caring gaze. A shine that she recognized was reserved only for her ever since they first kissed. She smiled at the purple-clad girl. "Have I ever told you that I have a girlfriend?"

Hotaru's eyebrows raised in surprise, her face turning redder. "I… don't suppose so."

Akane bit her lower lip, her gaze going down in embarrassment before looking back at the girl in front of her. "Well she is one of the kindest people I've ever known. Always knowing how to straighten me out if things don't turn out the way I expected. She never gives up to convince me that I'm better that what I see myself as. She's one of the most amazing people I've met and I'm glad she's in my life. But I am certain that she will be even more amazing when she gets up on stage tonight and sings for thousands of people that chant her name."

The idol giggled and hugged her newly claimed girlfriend. "I'm sure she'll do great." She pulled away before going to the table to fetch her lipstick. "Gimme one second, okay?" She carefully applied it before doing another check, only for the door to open as a staff member came in.

"Another ten minutes, Hotaru," he said.

"I'll be right there~" Hotaru replaced the cover of her lipstick before going to her friend, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I want to kiss you so bad if I wasn't going on stage," she whispered.

"Save it for the after party. We'll be right there if anything happens."

"Okay." Hotaru was about to leave but stopped at the doorway. She turned back to her friend and smiled. "Akane."

"Hm?"

"I have a girlfriend, too. She's a wolf but will forever be my puppy." She winked before taking her leave, making the MoriRed speechless as her face flushed.

Tomoko and Kiku peeked into the room, smiles on their faces when they saw their older sister flustered. She raised her hand to stop them from making comments. "Say nothing and let's get to work. I have a friend to guard."

"Uh-huh. _Friend_ is definitely the way to put it," Kiku teased, only to be pushed out of the room by the red soldier. "Tell me all about it and give me pointers~"

"Never gonna happen, middle-schooler."

"Oh, you're definitely a bottom if you say things like that."

"One more comment like that, and I'm blocking the Internet from your room."

"Oh no~ Not my Internet~" the MoriYellow mocked as she was pushed through the hallway.

* * *

Tomoko carefully adjusted her earpiece as she went to her seat. "All set?" she asked, checking the venue for any openings.

 _"Yep. Kiku and I are on either side so tell us if you hear anything, okay?"_

"Roger." Tomoko looked around before tilting her glasses down, her irises turning turquoise as she scanned the stage. "All clear."

Akane replaced her glasses and looked across the stage where Kiku gave a nod, confirming clearance at the seating entrances. "All clear." She looked over at Hotaru who was reading over the setlist again, repeating them to herself just to make sure. She walked over before resting her hand on the girl's shoulder, making the idol turn. "You'll be fine. The three of us have our eyes and ears opened so just do what you do best."

Hotaru softly smiled before pulling her girlfriend into another hug. "Hopefully we last until my new song. I want you to hear it."

"I'll do my best to make sure you'll sing it."

The music that was playing to keep the fans occupied stopped as they heard cheers. The opening song began, making the crowd chant for Hotaru's appearance. The idol took in a deep breath before smacking her cheeks to focus. "Wish me luck."

"You'll do great."

A stage hand took hold of Hotaru, getting ready to give her the cue and handing her the microphone. She looked back at her friend and smiled before the man counted down. "Five! Four! Three! Two!" He pointed towards the stage, allowing her to run to center stage where fans began cheering when they saw her silhouette. The first song began to play and Akane softly laughed when she recognized it to be "Suki-chan" from one of the girl's favorite idol groups when they were younger.

* * *

After about five songs, Hotaru looked over at the audience, catching her breath as she smiled at them. "Hi, everyone~!" Loud cheers were heard, making her giggle. "Thank you for coming to my first solo concert! I really… I really cannot thank you enough for buying all of the tickets and making us open up spots at the movie theaters for everyone to see!" She leaned over to a camera near the stage. "Thank you, live viewing! I hope you're all having fun!" She straightened herself. "So um… Before I introduce myself as I usually would, let's introduce the band! They have been working so hard to learn all of these songs and we've been practicing together so let's start with our lead guitar! Ishimura-san!"

Tomoko's eyes turned violet, making her look around. She reached for her hearing aids before turning some small rubber gears near the bottom of the ring.

 _"Target sighted."_

She gasped at the dark voice before taking off her glasses, inspecting the area. She reached for the right aid. "Onee-chan?" She spotted something moving in the rafters. "Above the stage."

Akane followed her sister's line of sight, only to see Benten readying her horn. "Kiku! Jump up there! Tomoko! Get onto the stage!"

"Roger!"

Tomoko jumped off the fence and onto the stage before swiping her Cuff, allowing her sword to materialize. Surprised gasps came from the audience and band members. Hotaru looked at the girl before following her line of sight. "Hotaru-san! Duck!"

"Eh? Ah!" The idol quickly fell to her knees when the MoriBlue swung her sword up into the air, creating a water barrier over the two. A loud screech was heard as everyone covered their ears, not seeing the large sound waves that attacked the barrier.

Tomoko weakly held up her sword to keep the barrier up. "Onee-chan!" She pushed her sword up, making the barrier and attack disappear.

A white glove took hold of Hotaru's arm before the idol was led backstage. Benten looked down at the sight. "What the hell?!"

Kiku kicked off her boots as her eyes turned yellow, allowing her to jump towards the rafters. She took hold of one before lifting herself onto the platform. She swiped her hand over her Cuff as her rifle appeared in her hands. "Hey!"

Benten turned at the call, only to be knocked back by a strike of lightning. The force knocked her over the railing and land on the stage. Screams were heard as people started to evacuate.

Kiku jumped off and landed a few feet from the Ningengata before being joined by Tomoko. "Any plans?" the younger girl asked as she twisted the top half of her Cuff.

 _"Transform! Rabbit!" "Transform! Mouse!"_

"Shields can be used offensively. But lightning can also create thunder."

The MoriYellow looked at her sister and smirked. "Guess we're going to steal Nee-chan's thunder then."

 _ **"Doubutsu Henshin!"**_

They snapped their Cuffs back into place as their eyes glowed.

* * *

Hotaru found herself outside the concert venue and heard screams from the other side, only to be the fleeing fans. "No…" She slowed to a stop, making her rescuer stop as well. She turned to look at the hero whose face was covered by a red helmet. She looked at the notches on the side that resembled wolf ears. "Akane…" Tears pooled in her eyes as she looked at her friend. "We didn't even finish half of the setlist…"

The fiery soldier looked at the girl before swiping her hand over her Cuff, making her helmet disappear. She gently cupped her girlfriend's face in her hands. "Hey. Look at me." She carefully wiped away the girl's tears with her thumbs. "It's still early. Once we defeat this guy, we'll do what we can to bring them back. I promised to hear your new song and I will not break that promise. I'm sure your fans feel the same way. Got it?"

"Akane…"

The MoriRed gave her a gentle peck to the lips. "It'll be fine."

A pair of metal boots landed on the concrete. The two turned to find Hiro. "Just in time." She took out the capsule latched to her belt before throwing it to the ground, summoning her moped along with a sidecar. She took hold of her friend. "Hiro will take you somewhere safe for now. I promise that nothing will happen to you. Okay?"

Hotaru looked at her girlfriend before giving her another kiss. She pulled away, resting her forehead against the MoriRed's. "Be safe…" She pulled away before climbing into the sidecar, a glass shield covering her as the robot took hold of the handles. She wiped away her tears before shooting her girlfriend a small smile, resting her hand on the glass.

Akane rested one to make contact, soothing the idol. She looked over at Hiro who was awaiting orders. "Bring her somewhere safe."

"Roger." He drove off, taking Hotaru with him.

Akane took in a deep breath before smacking herself on the cheeks. She swiped her hand over her Cuff to make her helmet appear again as well as claws protruding from her gloves. She looked back at the venue as her eyes glowed red.

* * *

"Ji-nee!" Kiku rushed to Tomoko's side after the smaller girl's barrier was broken, the force knocking her back. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah…" The blue soldier weakly got to her feet. "She keeps increasing the frequency… My shield can't hold for too long if this keeps up."

"Figured. I can't charge if she keeps attacking like this."

Benten approached the two girls, playing with her staff. "Is that really the best you two can do? Just children playing hero like always." She held up her staff, releasing another screech that made the girls cover their ears and fall over from the pain. "Why don't you girls stay down forever?"

A growl was heard in the back before the monster was tackled off the stage. "What?!" she screeched as she found her staff being ripped out of her hands. The screeching went to a halt when it left her hands.

Akane stood up, her foot against the Ningengata's chest and her hands tightly gripping the staff. "Of all the singing I've heard in my life, that was pathetic. And this?" She held up the staff as her voice lowered menacingly. "This is for ruining my girlfriend's important day." She took hold of the horn before crushing it.

"No!"

Small orbs of light came from the staff before flying towards the hospitals throughout the prefecture. Cheers were heard from rooms as many singers and idols found their voices restored.

"You will pay for this!" Benten kicked Akane off before they jumped onto the stage.

"Really? You really want to mess with an angry wolf?" the MoriRed scowled, tossing the broken staff to the side as her sisters joined her. "I'd be glad to rip your throat out for what you did. Girls?"

In a flash, Tomoko and Kiku appeared behind the Ningengata. "I am so sorry for doing something like this," Tomoko said quietly before she cut down the monster from behind.

"Well I'm not." Kiku readied her rifle before letting out a lightning-charged bullet, blasting Benten out of the venue. The two jumped after her. "Kind of deserved it for almost making Rikka cancel."

Akane walked forward as flames surrounded her arms to create claws. Benten looked around to find herself surrounded by the three. She glared at Akane, seeing how she couldn't run. The MoriRed smirked behind her helmet. "Well. That's what you get." She held up her claw, signaling an attack.

Kiku held up her rifle with one hand as Tomoko readied her sword. "Bye~" She shot an array of electric-charge bullets, combining it with a large wave of water and trapping the Ningengata.

 _"Canine Claw!"_ Akane charged as the flames grew in size. She jumped into the air and swung her arm back. _"Inferno Strike!"_ She swung down, releasing a large flame that took the shape of a large wolf. It struck Benten who screeched in pain before she crumbled into dust.

The three looked at the dust as their breathing was heavy. Akane felt a hand on her shoulder and looked at Kiku who gave a nod, making her nod in return. She looked over at Tomoko who smiled under her helmet.

* * *

Dorgon and Harpy looked at the flames, seeing their comrade defeated. "Interesting… Truly interesting."

"Hmph. She became too full of herself after collecting all of those voices. Well? Aren't you going to bring her back, Dorgon?"

The dragon looked at the flames before walking away. "Perhaps not today. There is something I want to look at that doesn't require that singing seagull."

* * *

Hotaru gently swung her legs as she sat on the edge of the stage, looking out at the empty seats in front of her. Once it was deemed safe, Hiro brought her back to the venue but left the idol heartbroken when her fans didn't return.

The sound of ruffling cloth was heard and she felt someone nudge her shoulder with theirs. "You can cry if you want."

"I don't want to…" She let herself fall against the stranger before letting her head rest on the crook of the person's neck. "But it hurts…"

"We called your manager. He said there's still half an hour left but they're going to refund the fans since we lost over half of the time. Only a few stagehands stayed to clean up."

"I should have listened… I should have cancelled if it was going to end like this…"

"It could get worst."

"How so?"

"You'd be gone…"

Hotaru looked up at the reply, only to see sorrow hidden in the red eyes of her companion. She wrapped her arms around the girl. "That's true…" She soon noticed she wasn't wearing her usual red attire. Instead, it was a purple tie-dye shirt with a drawing of a lion and a wolf that could have been from a child. "Since when did you stop wearing red?" she asked with a giggle.

"When my girlfriend asks."

Hotaru felt the heat rising to her cheeks and smiled. "Your girlfriend is really something to have you make such a bold choice." She started to play with the ribbons that were hanging from the shoulders of the girl's shirt, braiding some together.

"Well she always makes me do things that I would never find myself doing. But there is something she asked me to do that probably can't happen unless I pull some strings."

The idol stopped and looked up at the red soldier, confusion evident. Akane simply smiled before standing up, lifting her girlfriend to her feet. "When we called your manager, we decided that, if we're going to have this extra time, he can tweet a message to the fans about a special live stream for your song."

Hotaru's eyes looked as if they might pop from their sockets. "You didn't…"

"I did. We will be using the last ten minutes of your stage time for it so I hope you're ready to be playing your ukulele." She found herself pulled into a tight embrace.

"Oh my gosh, you are the best!" Hotaru pulled away to look at her, their hands interlocked with one another. "How can you even pull that off?"

Akane shrugged. "Heiress to the country's biggest tech company and the older sister of a really good crier. What can't I do?"

Hotaru smiled and gently kissed the girl. "You are truly the best person I've ever had in my life."

"Go get ready and I'll set up the camera."

"Okay!" She scurried off backstage, letting the MoriRed let out a content sigh.

"Oh, you are so whipped!" Kiku said as her sisters came out from the other side of the stage. "Convincing her manager and the stage director into letting her use the last of her time to sing that one song you promised to listen to. If that doesn't scream 'whipped', I don't know what does."

Akane folded her arms before looking at her youngest sister. "Call me whipped, but I guarantee you'll end up doing the same for the person you'll end up dating." She stopped when she found her sisters looking at her, seeing the color in their eyes going through their glasses.

"Dating? You mean you two are officially…?" Kiku covered her mouth, jumping up and down when she saw Akane's face turn the same shade as her uniform upon realizing what she just said. "Oh my God…"

"Oh, shut up! Whoa!" She stepped back when she was tackled into a hug by Tomoko. She set the smaller girl down once she relaxed.

"I'm so happy for you, Onee-chan! We thought you would never say it!" the MoriBlue squealed as she hugged her sister. "Hotaru-san must be really happy to hear it!"

"Yeah, yeah. Enough hugging and teasing. Let's get the stuff ready so she can finally finish this concert. She's been working her butt off for it."

"Hai~" They ran to the side of the stage where their uncle left the necessary equipment.

"So really. No signs of making it public?" Kiku teased, only to be pushed over.

"I am so not going to fight millions of fans even if she doesn't follow that 'no-dating' rule."

"I'm back~!" Hotaru cheered as she ran out in her costume. "Is everything set, wolfie?"

Akane's face turned red and Kiku snorted at the nickname. "T-Ttaru! We swore to leave that name in private!"

"But I like it~ Especially since we're now official. Not publicly but still official. Now you're always my wolfie!"

Tomoko covered her mouth with both hands, trying to cover the pink tint on her cheeks. She looked over at her sister who turned even redder.

"T-Ttaru!" Akane ran to her girlfriend who quickly dodged her, causing a chase between the couple around the stage.

"Wolfie~" She stopped and hugged her girlfriend when she was tackled onto the stage floor. She petted the MoriRed's head much to her displeasure. "Always my wolfie~"

There was a soft groan as Akane rested her head against the idol's chest, finally giving in to the teasing. Tomoko and Kiku looked at each other, surprised to see their eldest sister become so soft around the purple idol.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So that was Chapter 6. Akane and Hotaru: Yay or Nay? I find it cute. That, or I read way too many F/F fics that makes them gag-worthy adorable. Will I explore their relationship more? Will they ever come out to the public? Who knows? I have to put that chapter in somewhere.  
**_ _ **Next chapter will be Tomoko-centric. I know the past few does have some kind of focus on her but not so much in actual character development so I want to put her into the spotlight for once after 4 chapters. Still deciding on the next few chapters but I'm working on them.**_

 ** _Also: I have finished a poster and designs (watermarked so don't even think about it). This will help you have a general idea of what the girls look like and how I revised the suits so far._**

 _ **Poster: fav . me**_ _ **/ dcoll8y**_

 _ **Helmets:**_ _ **fav . me**_ _ **/**_ _ **dcolm40**_

 _ **Suits:**_ _ **fav . me**_ _ **/**_ _ **dcolm1m**_

 _ **Akane:**_ _ **fav . me**_ _ **/**_ _ **dcolm3a**_

 _ **Tomoko:**_ _ **fav . me**_ _ **/**_ _ **dcolm2n**_

 _ **Kiku:**_ _ **fav . me**_ _ **/**_ ** _dcolm28_**

 _ **Translations:  
**_ ** _"Mou" is mostly just a word that can be loosely translated depending on the situation. It's like an "Oh, man" or "Oh, come on" or "Damn it" when Kiku used it in the beginning. People use it when they're angry or pouting._**

 ** _A Little Lesson: The idol group Hotaru belongs to is called Minites. Harue who was introduced in Chapter 5 is also in the group and acts as the leader even though she's younger. Minites is loosely based off of a real group called "Momoiro Clover Z" aka my most favorite group in the whole world. Do take the word "loosely" seriously because their personalities do not perfectly fit, same goes for sexual orientation.  
Hotaru is based off the eldest member, Reni Takagi, and the T-shirt is derived from her 2017 solo concert, "Marugoto Reni-chan". The same goes for her costumes. The first one is from her 2017 concert while the one she wore during the in-story concert was from the 2018 concert. _****_I do not own them and just remember: How Hotaru acts in this story is NOT how Reni is in real life. She is a fictional character_ loosely _based off the idol. It's pretty much casting her as the role while giving some Easter eggs to fans._**

 ** _That's all for today. Read and review? Please? TTwTT_**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Super Sentai. I only own my original character and story.**_

* * *

Tomoko grimaced as she looked at her shoe locker, glue and paint covering her white shoes. She carefully removed them and placed them into a plastic bag before stuffing them into her duffle. She took out a new pair and changed her shoes before placing her loafers into her duffle and stood up, only to be pushed into her locker.

"Yo! Like that present we got you, Tanaka?" Fujinori sneered.

The small girl winced at the sudden pain but didn't turn, scared to face the bully.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" a voice chided. The two turned to find two girls in the school uniform but with yellow and pink sweater vests. The one in yellow had long brown hair pulled into a set of twintails and had a pair of yellow headphones hanging around her neck. The girl in pink had shoulder length black hair with the left side pulled back by a pink hairclip to keep it away from her face. On their left wrists were small cuff bracelets in their respective colors.

The bully looked at the two and scoffed. "What? So the two idols decided to come to school today after ditching?"

"We had rehearsals and Sensei gave us all of the necessary homework," the one in yellow said. She glanced over at Tomoko who was in shock of seeing them. She softly smiled at the girl before looking back at the bully, her expression now blank. "Remember that deal we made with you guys? It's off. It's been off for years now. Leave her alone or there will be consequences."

"And what if I say no?"

"This school is well known to accept people of high status even for a normal school. They have a reputation to uphold," the one in pink said," It'd be a shame if word got out about bullying against an heiress of the largest tech company in the country. They'll stop with their donations and the school will have no choice but to expel you to keep up its image. You have a choice."

"Tch. You're all talk!" The girl charged at the two but her fist was quickly caught by the one in yellow.

"Bullying an heiress and now attacking idols that reached the Top 10. That's a huge blow." She pushed the bully back. "Get out of our sight before you cause more trouble to yourself."

Fujinori scowled at the two. "Fine. Have it your way. But just know that I'll be back." She took her leave.

Once she was out of earshot, the one in yellow let out a small groan. "I really hate using our status for our own needs," she whined. Her friend rested a hand on her shoulder.

"It was the only way to make her back off, Kyoko. Kawazoe-san will give us an earful, but it's worth it."

"Yea, yea..." Kyoko looked back at Tomoko who stood there, unsure what to say. She softly smiled. "Long time no see. Sorry for the wait."

Tomoko looked at the two and tightly held onto her duffle, unsure what to say. The girl in pink named Chiharu walked up to her, making her tense. Before she knew it, the taller girl pulled her into a hug, surprising her. "We're sorry... We were busy with rehearsals that we couldn't talk to you after the opening ceremony. But we're back and we'll never leave, okay?"

The MoriBlue looked at her, surprised of the sudden apology and gesture. "Chi-chan..." She looked over at Kyoko who placed her hands on her hips with a smile. "Kyo-chan..."

Chiharu pulled away and wiped away the tears in her eyes. "Let's get to class, okay? We have a lot of catching up to do."

* * *

Akane put down her cup of tea and let out a sigh. "So they really are going to talk to her..."

"That's what they said at rehearsals yesterday. They really hated themselves for not talking to her during the opening ceremony since Kyoko is closer to her in terms of lineup," Hotaru said," I'm a little worried since they haven't spoken to her in so long. She might not accept it."

"Not to mention of the battles we have to face. But we have to have some faith in them. I've always relied on them to watch her during school in case she needs some help. Usually they're small but enough to at least ensure that she doesn't break down."

Hotaru rested her chin on her hand. "Is it really okay for them to talk now...? You guys are fighting an enemy and it could be dangerous..."

Akane pursed her lips and took in a deep breath in thought. "It doesn't hurt to let some people know, but with these fights, Tomoko has been getting more nightmares. They're sporadic so we have to make sure she can get through school with enough support. The teachers aren't enough to help and she still has walls up against Takahashi. She needs some girl friends to help her."

The idol let out a short laugh. "Girl friends or girlfriends?" she teased, only for her own girlfriend to playfully swat her shoulder.

"You know what I mean, Ttaru." She leaned back against her chair, picking up her cup and wrapping her hands around it to take in the warmth. "But it makes sense. Kiku and I can't always be around her to make her feel better and she hasn't had a real friend in most of her life. At least give her someone she can look forward to seeing whenever she goes to school. Let her hang out and have fun on days off and not tie her down to her sadness."

Hotaru looked at the girl and softly smiled. She took away the cup of tea and set it down on the saucer before taking her girlfriend's hand. "They'll be fine. They're not little kids anymore so we don't have to worry too much about them. Have faith in her."

Akane nervously bit her lower lip but gave a nod. "Okay."

* * *

Kyoko's eyes glistened as she looked at Tomoko's lunch. "Hotaru was right! You've improved!"

Tomoko's face flushed at the sudden comment. She looked down in embarrassment. "O-Onee-chan and I have to do all of the cooking at home even though Shichi helps... Kiku-chan can be a little picky so we have to make sure it's good for everyone..."

"Just to expect from an older sister," Chiharu said as she took a bite out of her own lunch. "Hotaru tends to make something from time to time when our parents are busy."

"But she almost burned down the house one time," Kyoko said with a small laugh.

"Eh? Did that really happen?" Tomoko asked, curious as to how she never heard that story.

"She was distracted by her cat and burned the vegetables," Chiharu said with a shake of the head. "We ended up locking him into her room when she cooks since he follows her everywhere."

"I didn't know that..." Tomoko murmured, not noticing a fork stabbing a piece of her friend chicken until it was too late. "Ah!"

Kyoko smiled as she ate the piece she took. "Just to expect from Tomoko!"

"Don't take food without permission!" Tomoko whined, making the brunette laugh at her reaction.

"Your shocked faces never changed, either!" She wiped away the tear in her eyes before giving the small girl a piece of her fried egg. "Here. You can take this."

Chiharu softly giggled as she looked at Tomoko's pout. "Looks like you've finally loosened up around us, Tomo-chi," she said.

Tomoko tensed at this before shyly looking down, only to have a hand rest on her head. "Ne, Tomo-chi. Can we all be friends again? It's been a long time and we have a lot to make up for."

"Eh...?"

"We actually miss having you as our friend, Tomoko. It's been too long."

This only made the MoriBlue hesitate, unsure what to say.

 _We can't be friends anymore._

 _Don't talk to us tomorrow._

She tightly gripped her lunch box, her eyes orange from the memory. "I... I have to think about it..." She closed her lunch before running back inside.

"Tomoko!" Kyoko was about to chase after her but stopped when she saw orange. Her hands balled up into fists, remembering that look from when they were children.

* * *

Dorgon tilted his head as he looked into the flames, sensing a dark aura in the city. "Hmm... So it has appeared again..." he mused. "Perhaps it's time to test it. Hakujouna."

A small bat flew into the cave before landing as a Ningengata. He was rather robust in size with his face located on where his chest would usually be. His large ears twitched atop his head as well as his fingers. Large wings connected his arms to his torso and his feet were covered with pointed boots.

"You've called, Dorgon-sama?" he asked with his head bowed.

"I want you to do something for me." He summoned a photo of Tomoko to hand to him. "I want you to test how well your powers work and see if you can use them on this one here. There is a certain power within her that I want to observe."

"Hmm." Hakujouna took hold of the photograph, inspecting the girl. "She looks like a small child. I'm not sure what kind of power you're expecting from someone so small, but I will do my best to bring it out with my special techniques."

"Good."

* * *

"Head!" Tomoko swung her shinai down, striking her opponent's helmet. He fell back from the force.

"Ow... I give..." he muttered before taking off his helmet, only to be Satoshi. "Looks like you've gotten stronger, Tomoko."

Tomoko took in a nervous breath before taking off her own helmet. "It's just luck..." She rested the helmet under her left arm before ruffling her hair to fix it. She helped him to his feet, only to have her head patted by the boy.

"I really mean it, Tomoko. You're always hesitant about dueling others, but now you're more comfortable. Shishou won't hesitate on having you in the brackets for the next competition this year."

Tomoko lightly puffed up her cheeks for a small pout as she looked down, hugging the helmet close. "I'm not good enough for that yet..."

"Tomo-chi! Let's go!"

The two turned to find Kyoko and Chiharu at the gym entrance. "Ah. Tachibana-san and Kimura-san." He offered the two a wave which was soon returned. He soon found them kicking off their shoes and running over, only to find Chiharu tackling Tomoko into a hug, knocking her onto the hardwood floor.

"You did well!"

Tomoko's cheeks turned pink at the gesture, unsure how to respond. She was lifted to her feet by the taller girl. "Come on! You don't have work today, right? We know a really good place to go since Stars will be crowded."

"Eh?" Tomoko looked at the two girls, unsure how to respond. Satoshi looked her from behind but softly smiled when he saw the pleading look in the two's eyes.

He reached out before giving his friend a gentle push to the two. "I don't see a reason to decline. You should hurry and get changed, Tomoko. Surely you three want to have some time together."

"T-Takahashi-san... I just-"

"Then let's go!" Kyoko took hold of Tomoko's arm before leading her out of the gym.

* * *

Hakujouna landed in a plaza as he inspected the photograph. "Hmm… I'm not really sure why Dorgon-sama is interested in this child, but I suppose this is a chance for me to polish my skills." He put away the photo in his violet armor before his eyes glowed. " _Terror Echo!_ " His mouth opened before he released a high pitched screech that wouldn't be heard by the human ear.

 _"What do you mean you're leaving me?!"_

 _"P-please! Please don't fire me, sir!"_

 _"P-Please forgive me! It won't happen! I promise!"_

Various cries were heard throughout the area as the citizens were on the floor begging to those with them. Hakujouna smirked as he found red glows coming from their chests that turned violet as they continued to suffer.

"Just ripe." He bared his fangs before they shot at his victims, knocking them unconscious. The violet glows were removed from them as the Ningengata retracted his fangs.

"I see it still works fine. Now. Time to find that little one." He started to set off but was struck by a bullet of lightning. He turned towards the source but was pushed back by a blast of fire. "Wh-what the-?!"

"The second time we have to deal with people screaming in the city and the last time didn't end that well," Kiku scowled as she rested her rifle on her shoulder.

"Ningengata. What did you do to those people? Surely that screech we heard did more than just make people scream," Akane said as she readied her Claws.

"Now why would I want to tell you such information? _Terror Echo!_ " He released another screech, only to find the two unaffected. "Huh?"

Kiku let out a hearty laugh before leaning forward. "You really think we wouldn't come to the fight unprepared?" She readied her rifle. "Now tell!"

"As if!" He charged at the two, his wings stiffening to create blades.

Akane blocked his first swing with her claws before kicking him back. "Guess we'll have to use force or keep him away from everything," she muttered before releasing another blast of fire.

Hakujouna jumped out of its line of fire. "Ah! I can't touch that thing again!" He scrambled away. "I'll find that girl later!"

"'That girl'…?" Akane let her transformation fade back to her normal clothes as she looked at where the Ningengata once was. She reached for her left hearing aide. "Hiro. Did you get the info on that Ningengata?"

* * *

Hiro looked through the files as he answered his owner's call. "Hakujouna is his name. His powers are similar to that of Moakumu that you've face in the beginning."

 _"That would explain the people screaming,"_ Kiku said, _"But why are they all unconscious?"_

"Moakumu serves as just one who would cause terror by giving people hallucinations of their fears and past trauma. Hakujouna would take it a step further. When his victims are stricken with enough terror, he will eat their hearts."

* * *

The two froze at the idea. They looked at the fallen victims. Akane nervously swallowed the lump in her throat. "So he causes pain to both the victims of his Terror Echo and those close to them…"

 _"They have until tomorrow at sunrise. You girls have to hurry."_

"Got it. We'll track him down. Thanks, Hiro." Akane cut off the call before fiddling with her Cuff.

"Nee-chan. How are we supposed to find him?" Kiku asked worriedly.

"I don't know. But what he said before he escaped worries me…"

 _"I'll find that girl later!"_

"That girl…?" Kiku's eyes widened in realization, seeing how the enemy only knows of the three of them. "We have to find Ji-nee before he gets her!"

"That's our priority." She closed the hologram before grabbing her sister's wrist. "Found her. Come on!"

* * *

Tomoko looked around the family restaurant as her two friends were looking over the menu. They were softly teasing each other as they tried to find a good dish to eat. She wasn't sure why they decided to go to the restaurant the next district over, but they probably had their reasons. Being idols did give them issues in terms of privacy so it's probably best to go somewhere a good distance away from school and home. Less chances of people finding out where they live.

"Tomo-chi? Tomo-chi~"

Tomoko looked at the two when she was called, snapped out of her thoughts. "Did you decide on what you want to order?" Kyoko asked.

"Eh? Um..." She looked at the menu, trying to decide. A hand reached over before pointing at one of the options.

"What about this one? You can ask for no tabasco," Chiharu said. "You were always sensitive whenever we put too much of it."

Tomoko looked at the option before giving a small nod. "I... I guess that's okay."

"If you say so." Kyoko punched in the order on the table's tablet, giving her a message that the food will be out shortly. "Okay. Now that that's taken care of." She folded her hands on the table before looking at the smaller girl. "Tomoko. We wanted to talk about earlier. We figured waiting until after kendo practice would be enough time for you to think about everything."

This made the MoriBlue hesitate again, recalling what happened when they were younger. "We just want to tell you how sorry we are... And that we want to make up for leaving you alone after all these years."

Tomoko tightly balled up the ends of her skirt in her hands. "H-how can I be sure that you mean it...?"

"We're here now. We don't know what you want before you can forgive us. But at least let us tell you what happened."

 ** _Flashback_**

 _"As if we can abandon her like that!" Kyoko scowled as she and Chiharu faced their classmates._

 _"Why not? You know just as well as we do that she doesn't belong here," a boy sneered._

 _"Just because she's different doesn't mean she doesn't belong!" Chiharu snapped," She's just as normal as us!"_

 _"But you know she's different," a girl said," The way her eyes change colors isn't normal, Kimura-san. And it's always raining when she cries. It's too weird."_

 _"There's nothing weird about it!"_

 _"Then wait until she hurts you with those powers!" another boy shouted. "You've heard the rumors. She got into a fight at her old school and almost broke someone's leg! We're just putting her in her place."_

 _"That's too cruel!"_

 _"Then stay away from her!"_

 _"Why can't you?!" Kyoko was becoming impatient, finding their insults unbearable._

 _"Just wait until the upperclassmen gets word of that freak, then! If you think what we do is bad enough, imagine what the bigger kids will do once they get word of this!"_

 _The two stopped, knowing they were still too small to go against the older kids at school. "That's playing dirty!"_

 _The leader of the bullies smirked, seeing his opening. "Then let's make a deal. If you stay away from Tanaka, we'll keep this away from the older kids."_

 _"Only if you stop picking on her!"_

 _"We're already giving her a handicap. You're asking for too much."_

 _"Oi!" Kyoko was about to charge at them but Chiharu held her back, not wanting her to get in trouble for fighting. She scowled and broke out of her friend's hold. "Keep your word for it, Kujisa! But if anything happens to Tomoko because of you guys, the deal is off!"_

 ** _End Flashback_**

Kyoko tightly held onto her glass of cream soda as she finished the story. "We figured it would be best if it was just the others in our class... But we knew we couldn't leave you alone when it goes too far... Every time they stepped out of line, we always made sure they wouldn't do it again. But when we started out jobs as idols... it became harder to watch out for you..." She lifted her gaze to look at the small girl. "We should have been there when you needed us most... We were just too afraid to see you since you were so broken... We're so sorry for leaving you like that... Not being there when you needed us..."

"Then... When I came back to school... it was still the same..."

The two looked down in shame. "We were too guilty for avoiding you for so long... We didn't know how to talk to you... How to make everything right..." Chiharu murmured, tears stinging her eyes from the guilt. "We were too scared that you would be too afraid to see us and think we're one of them... That was why we did what we could to help you in the background. Calling Sensei to start homeroom early, making sure you had your change of clothes whenever those girls pull a mean prank on you. Even today when we threatened Fujinori-san with evidence so she would stop bullying you.

"We're not asking for your forgiveness, Tomo-chi... We don't deserve it after leaving you alone... But just give us another chance..."

Tomoko looked at the two, tears streaming down her cheeks as well as theirs. Her fists started to clench more as memories resurfaced.

 _Name's Kyoko Tachibana! Just Kyoko is fine. This is Chiharu. You can call her Chichi._

 _Chii is fine! She's just messing with you. But let's be friends, Tomo-chi._

 _We can't be friends anymore._

 _Just leave us alone already!_

 _I'll talk to them, Tomoko. I'm sure they didn't mean it._

 _Just let us know if there are any problems._

"Do you really mean it...?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The two looked up when they heard her voice. "Eh?"

"Do you really mean you want to be friends again?" she asked again. The two looked at each other and back at the MoriBlue, only to smile wholeheartedly at the question.

"Of course!" "We really do, Tomo-chi!" They shot out of their seats and ran around the table to embrace their friend in a tight embrace.

"We promise we won't leave you alone ever again..."

"We'll always be here for you this time, Tomo-chi. We promise..."

Tomoko wiped away her tears and smiled at her friends, happy to be able to reconcile with them after so long. "Then let's be friends again..."

The three held onto each other, taking in each other's company.

 _"KYAAAA!"_

They pulled apart at the scream, surprised to hear it. "What was that...?"

Tomoko's eyes turned violet and she looked out the door. She took hold of her jacket and quickly tapped her phone against the tablet. "Wait here!" She was about to run out the door when Chiharu took hold of her arm to pull her back.

"Where are you going?!" she cried," It could be dangerous!"

"I-I have to! Just trust me!" Tomoko tried to fight out of her hold, only for her eyes to turn amber and her arm phased through the taller girl's hold. She stumbled back and loked at her hand, surprised of what happened. She quickly shook off the shock before running out of the restaurant, ignoring her friends' calls.

"Is this what Hotaru was talking about...?" Kyoko muttered. She shook her head before grabbing Chiharu's wrist. "We have to follow her! It's too dangerous!"

* * *

Tomoko ran into the streets where she found people on the ground screaming and clutching their heads. She rushed over to one of them and took hold of his shoulders. "Is something wrong?" she asked, only to be pushed away.

"P-please forgive me! I didn't mean to, I swear!" he cried as he tightly gripped his head and bowed against the ground.

"Eh...?" She looked at the citizens and realized they were all screaming at the air in front of them. "What happened to them...?" She reached for her hearing aide and started to adjust it, only to hear a loud screech. She quickly turned the dial back. _"There's too many of them..."_

She felt a strange shiver run through her back as her eyes glowed violet. _"That same weird feeling again..."_

"Ah. Looks like the one Dorgon-sama told me about showed herself."

She turned to find Hakujouna who slowly approached her, the photo in his hands. "Dorgon...?"

 _Dorgon. I don't suppose you really know what you're going to do with this child._

 _Just trust me, Harpy._

Her hand went to her head as harsh memories resurfaced. _"Wha...? Why is that name bringing back those memories...?"_

Hakujouna took note of her reaction. "Hm. Seems to be too easy of a target. I wonder... _Terror Echo!_ " He let out a concentrated screech towards the girl.

Tomoko's eyes turned orange and she looked around, only to find herself in a pitch-black space. Soft crying was heard, making her look around for the source. She stopped when she found a small child on the floor. Her eyebrows furrowed when she recognized the light blue sundress and walked over, kneeling to look at the girl more closely. "Are you okay?"

The small child sniffled as she tried to wipe away her tears. "My... my friends are gone... They hate me... They all hate me..." she whimpered.

"Th-that's not true... I'm sure they have their reasons."

The child shook her head as she continued to cry. "They told me that they hate me..."

"Eh?" Tomoko reached out to her shoulders but the girl disappeared before she could make contact. She felt something connect with her back and she fell forward.

She got up and turned, only for a hand to grab hold of her neck. She let out a soft gasp when she found Kyoko, her eyes dark and ominous. "Kyo-chan..."

The yellow-clad idol smirked before throwing the girl to the side. "Always a weak one, Tomoko."

"Kyo-chan..." She tried to get up but was kicked to the side by Chiharu. She grasped her side from the pain. "Chi-chan...? Why...?" She was kicked in the stomach again, making her unable to move.

"Why should we be friends with someone as weird as you?" the taller girl sneered.

* * *

Tears streamed down Tomoko's cheeks as she stood frozen, the thoughts and fears playing through her head. "Kyo-chan... Chi-chan..." she murmured, her eyes letting out a soft orange and violet glow.

"Tomoko!" "Tomo-chi!" Messy footsteps were heard as Kyoko and Chiharu ran towards the girl. They stopped when they saw Hakujouna.

"What the heck is that...?" Chiharu muttered.

"I don't know..." Kyoko stopped when she found Hakujouna baring his fangs as if to strike Tomoko. Seeing how the MoriBlue didn't seem to notice, the two panicked.

"Tomoko!" "Tomo-chi!" They ran towards their friend, taking hold of her to shield her.

Tomoko blinked at the contact but before she could even register what was happening, she heard cries of pain close to her ears. She looked down to find her friends losing consciousness as they fell to the ground lifelessly. "K... Kyo-chan...? Chi-chan...?"

Hakujouna's hand went to his stomach as he squirmed. "Blegh. I hate it when they're not ripened..." he moaned.

Tomoko looked at the two's unconscious forms, her eyes letting out a pulsing orange glow. "K-Kyo-chan...? Chi-chan...?" She fell to her knees and took hold of Kyoko, gently shaking her. "K-Kyo-chan... W-wake up... Kyo-chan..." Tears streamed down her cheeks as she shook the girl. "Ne..." She froze when she saw the lifeless look in her friend's eyes. "Kyo...chan...?"

"I shouldn't miss this time!" The Ningengata released his fangs again at the small girl.

"NO!" Tomoko screamed as dark energy burst out from her, knocking the Ningengata and Teshitas away from the three.

* * *

Akane stopped as her eyes glowed, widening as she recognized the strange change in atmosphere. "No..."

Kiku stopped and looked back at her sister. "Nee-chan?" She noticed the fear in her older sister's eyes and went to her. "What happened?"

The MoriRed didn't reply and instead took hold of her youngest sister, her eyes letting our a pulsing glow with flames surrounding her pupils. "Stay here. Don't follow until I call you, okay?"

"Wha-?" Kiku was dumbfounded, unsure how to respond to suggest a request. "Did something happen to Ji-nee?" She didn't receive a response from the older girl who sprinted off towards the battlefield. "Nee-chan!" She tried to follow but was blocked by a wall of fire. "Nee-chan!"

Akane ignored her sister's calls, focusing at the sudden spike that crashed through her. _"Tomoko... Don't do anything stupid...!"_

* * *

Tomoko slowly rose to her feet, a dark aura surrounding her. Her tears disappeared as she looked up, revealing glowing violet irises. The Teshitas backed away at her look, suddenly intimidated by her aura and change in behavior.

Hakujouna looked at her with an amused hum. "So this is what Dorgon-sama was talking about. Well. Let's see what the difference is-" He was cut off when a sword pierced his stomach. He looked down to find not a sword, but a spear made of ice. "What...?!" He looked at the girl and saw she had her hand stretched out towards him, a strange light blue fog surrounding it. Ice covered parts of her hand as she continued to glare at him, her right eye glowing an icy blue.

"Tch." He took hold of the spear before breaking it and pulling it out. "As if that will hurt me!" He charged at the girl but found himself stuck in place. "What the-!" He stopped and looked down to find his feet frozen to the ground.

Tomoko smirked before slowly clenching her hand into a fist, making the ice rise. The Ningengata scowled and looked at the Teshitas. "Don't just stand there! Get her!"

The Teshitas scrambled for their weapons before charging. Tomoko let her gaze leave the monster in front of her for a moment and rolled her eyes, her smirk not leaving her lips. She raised her free hand before snapping her fingers, her left eye now green.

The ground shook as vines shot out and took hold of the footmen. She twirled her finger in a circular motion before they lit up in flames. She tilted her head as she looked at the Ningengata. "Is that really all you have?" she asked, her voice lower than usual as her eyes were now violet again with an evil gleam.

"Tomoko!"

She heard footsteps from behind but didn't turn to look, already recognizing the aura and voice. She scoffed before saying "Let's get this over with." She closed her outstretched hand before snapping her fingers.

"You...!" Hakujouna tried to charge but was encased in ice before shattering, orbs of light escaping to return to his victims.

Akane stopped in her tracks when she saw the Ningengata being destroyed. Her eyes glowed red as she looked at her sister, flames surrounding her hands when she saw the purple aura around the small girl. She was about to charge but found the two girls at her sister's feet. Instead of attacking, she continued to glare at the girl.

"Oi! What did you do to Tomoko?!" she scowled.

Tomoko turned, her eyes letting out a soft glow. "Yo, Onee-chan." She glanced down at her friends before walking towards her older sister, seeing how she can't get into a fight with them so close. "They're fine. Just need to rest to regain their energy." She stopped when she was a good distance from the MoriRed. "Surprised? It's been... four years? Yea. Four years since we last saw each other. Are you doing well?"

Akane took a step forward, soft growls escaping from her as she faced the girl. Tomoko seemed to be unfazed by the older girl's behavior and continued to speak.

"Well. I figured that since I'm here, you might want to settle that score from last time. You still have that present I gave you, right? Well let's just keep that safe for now. I can't be here for much longer. It'd put too much of a strain on Tomoko-chan's little body. Maybe next time. Maybe... after you tell her the truth." She lifted her hand and twiddled her fingers for a wave. "I'll see you later, Onee-chan. Bye~" Her eyes turned grey before closing and falling over, her smirk now gone.

Akane snapped out of her anger when she found the girl falling. "Tomoko!" She leapt forward to catch her sister, only to fall to her knees from the sudden weight. She held the small girl in her arms, gently shaking her. "Tomoko!" She looked around and noticed no one has approached just yet. Her free hand reached for her hearing aide. "Kiku! Get Hiro and Shichi!"

* * *

Dorgon rested his hand on his chin in thought, taking in what happened. "A split personality... But to think a member of the family could have an aura like that." He walked towards his seat, his lips twisting into an evil smirk.

"Interesting. Perhaps we should keep an eye on that one more as I've suspected. Perhaps she'll hold a key to what we're missing."

* * *

Tomoko slowly opened her eyes, only to be greeted by a blinding white light. She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light before looking around, only to recognize the room to be in the Lab. Soft beeps rang through the room and she turned to find a heart monitor and a different machine connected to her. "Eh?" She slowly sat up and looked around, only to have a hand grab her arm. She turned to find Akane. "O-Onee-chan..."

"It's best to not move so much, Tomoko," she warned softly. "You pushed yourself too much."

"Eh...? But I didn't do anyth-" She stopped when she remembered what happened with Hakujouna, her eyes orange. She tried to get off the cot but Akane held her back.

"Tomoko! You should rest!"

Tomoko tried to fight out of her sister's hold. "I-I have to save them! Kyo-chan and Chi-chan!" she cried.

Akane's eyes glowed before she pulled her sister back into bed, grabbing her shoulders to keep her in place. "Tomoko. They're safe. The Ningengata was defeated so they're fine."

"But-!"

"You have to believe me, Tomoko! I was there! Kiku and Ttaru are watching them right now. I'll bring you to them once you're fully rested." She firmly held her sister in place, staring her down to make her obey.

"But I-"

"Tomoko."

The MoriBlue looked at her sister, seeing the harsh look in her eyes and flames coming from them. She led her arms drop to her sides in defeat before sinking into the cot, her gaze cast downwards. Akane let go once she sensed no struggle from the small girl and sat down, letting out a small sigh in relief. She smoothed out her shirt before resting her hands on her knees.

The two sat in the room in silence before Tomoko spoke. "What happened...? I don't remember anything..."

"You blacked out. We were able to get to you before the monster got to you."

"So... It never attacked me after... after it attacked Kyo-chan and Chi-chan...?"

Akane shook her head. "As we said, we were able to get to you before he could."

"So... Why did I black out?"

Akane nervously bit her lower lip, not wanting to lie to her sister more than she already is. "I... I don't know... I guess the shock and fear made you panic and pass out... We should have gotten there sooner and I'm sorry..."

"D-don't apologize... I was just asking a question. I should be sorry, Onee-chan."

The red warrior shook her head. "Don't be." She felt the tears stinging her eyes and stood up. "I'm going to get you something to eat. You've been out for a while." She took her leave, letting the door close behind her. She leaned back before sliding down to the floor, wiping away her tears with her sleeve.

"Nee-chan?"

She looked up to find Kiku, only to look back down and hug her knees close. The youngest sister then took a seat next to her, seeing how she probably won't move for a while. "They woke up. Hotaru is watching them for now, but they want to know how Ji-nee is doing..."

"She's fine... Just resting..."

Kiku tightly gripped her ankles, seeing how her sister's voice was shaky. "Nee-chan... Why did you make me stay away from the fight? You were acting weird when you gave me that order. Even setting up that wall to stop me."

"I already told you too much. This is something I have to handle on my own."

"You sure?"

"Yeah..."

Kiku scooted closer to her sister before wrapping her arms around her. "We'll be okay... right?"

"I don't know... I just don't know..."

"Isn't it your job as the eldest to tell us we will...?"

"Yeah... But for once, I just don't know, Kiku... Sorry..."

Kiku only held onto her tighter. "You can cry if you want... Ji-nee won't see or hear..."

"I'm fine..." She stood up, squirming out of her sister's hold before walking down the halls. Kiku watched in worry.

"Nee-chan... How much do you have to shoulder before you think we're ready...?" she muttered, her hands tightly clenching.

* * *

 _ **A/N: And that was Chapter 7. Any thoughts about what happened with Tomoko in the end? There are always a lot of surprising things about her that will be covered in future chapters. I will be working on Chapter 8 and see how that chapter will play out. I want a few more chapters in before I introduce the new members that were mentioned in Chapter 4, but I want to continue on with that conversation between Akane and Kiku as well as settle the tension between Akane and Tomoko.**_

 _ **As for Kyoko and Chiharu, they are based off of real idols like Hotaru. Kyoko is portrayed by Shiori Tamai and Chiharu is portrayed by Ayaka Sasaki. They're also from Momoiro Clover Z, but their personalities do deviate from their original counterparts enough for me to work with them better so don't let this story give you a different impression about them in real life. Remember: they're original characters loosely based off of the idols.**_

 _ **To GaoGod: I'm not sure what you mean by the links being broken off, but I do know I have posted Chapters 4 and 5 rather closely so I guess it's that? As for the AkanexHotaru subplot, romance will be included in this story but it definitely won't be the main focus. Hotaru is really just an emotional support character and is pretty much Akane's anchor in some situations. Having her as a purple ranger doesn't sound bad, but I feel that her character would fit better on the sidelines.**_

 _ **Translations!**_  
 _ **"Shishou" can often be used to indicate a "Master" or someone highly skilled to be considered more than a teacher. I think in the case of the school's kendo team, "Shishou" seems to be more appropriate than "Sensei"  
"-chi" is an honorific at the end of a name that is used to make the name sound cute. Usually it's spelled "-chin" but in the case of Chiharu using it for Tomoko, the "n" can barely be heard and is easier to say without it. **_

_**Chapter 8 will take a little longer as I have yet to exactly plan out what I want to do before new members show up. My original plan was kinda thrown off after the previous chapter. This chapter was also supposed to be semi-romance but that was kind of rushing it between the two characters and I don't want to have them back-to-back with AkanexHotaru. Doesn't seem fair and I'll deal with it later. This chapter with Chiharu and Kyoko was also supposed to be saved for another 4 chapters, but the timeline makes the idea of them reconciling with Tomoko closer to the beginning of the school year makes it easier (School starts around the second week of April in Japan so having this after Hotaru's concert fitted than say mid-May which is already too late to say they wanted to do it at the first day of school). I will definitely have another Kiku chapter and an Akane/Tomoko bonding chapter soon. This new side of Tomoko won't be appearing again too soon but she will be returning in future chapters as well as her fight with Akane. When? I dunno. You'll just have to wait and see.**_

 _ **Until next time...** **じゃね!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Whaaaaat? An update in just a week? Am I on a roll? Nah, I'm just screaming "no" at action scenes after what happened last chapter. I feel like there should be some more bonding time. Also, I was able to fix the issue with the note at the end of Chapter 6. Just get rid of all the spaces and the links should work. If not, I'll have to find a way to actually share it.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Super Sentai. I only own my original characters and story.**_

* * *

Kiku snuck through the house, making a stop at the kitchen to grab a glass of water. She carefully made her way downstairs towards the Base before turning on the computer. Her tongue nervously pressed up against her upper teeth as she logged in and looked through the folders containing security footage. She found it suspicious when she first stumbled upon these folders, but figured it would help with future battles or figuring out battle plans. Does the government know that her father tapped into the cameras? She doesn't know and she probably doesn't really care.

An eyebrow raised when she found folders dedicated to each of the sisters. Curious, she clicked on Tomoko's and found video files labelled with dates and times. She noticed the first file was when Moakumu first attacked, making her recall the time her sister broke down. She nervously bit her lower lip before dragging the mouse to the most recent file that held the last battle. She was about to open it when a hand grabbed hold of her wrist.

"I wouldn't look at it if I were you."

The MoriYellow scowled a little at the interruption and glared at her eldest sister. "I just want to know."

"Well what can you even do when you do know? It's hard enough for me to prevent whatever happened two days ago from happening more frequently. You don't know how big of a risk this is."

"Yeah, well at the pace we're going, I'm going to find out sooner or later. What if it happens again and I'm there? What can I even do without knowing sooner? What am I even supposed to look out for from her if I don't even know what makes you panic like that? It makes no sense!"

"Kiku," Akane warned, her voice stern. "I've already told you enough. What happened that day is too dangerous and I'd prefer you keep away from it."

"How dangerous? We fight monsters who try nothing but kill us!" Kiku snapped, growing impatient. "How is that any different than what you're hiding from me? You've already hidden that thing secret from me long enough."

Akane glared at her sister, only for their eyes to glow in challenge. The MoriRed reached for her shirt before pulling it off, revealing a camisole underneath. She held out her hand. "Gimme your hand."

"Why should I-?!" Kiku was cut off when her sister grabbed her hand and placed it onto her left shoulder close to the crook of her neck. "What are you-?!" She stopped when she felt a strange bump. She pulled away, seeing how her sister always reached for it whenever she was nervous or worried. The only difference was that it was more prominent compared to when she first saw it. "What the...?"

Akane put her shirt back on and smoothed it out. "Our powers allow us to heal any kind of wound or scar, especially after we started fighting. But this one never left.

"What happened with Moakumu... The dark energy that Tomoko released... It's the same thing that happened when I got it. No one knows what that is. Not even our parents. Might be this side effect from her powers that no one knew about. We only thought of that because she was the one with the most screwed up life out of the others..."

"But why didn't it heal? Surely our enhanced healing abilities should be able to heal it."

"It's part of that side-effect. Apparently it has control over wounds and knows that it won't go away unless it says so. The only reason why it's worse now is because it reacted to that other side."

Kiku thought back to when she first saw the scar. It was mostly by accident when she walked in on her sister changing, but the older girl dismissed it and said she got into a small accident on the way home. The strangest thing was that their parents also had scars, but simply made the excuse of an accident at work or catching up on their training. For her age at the time, she easily understood and never really questioned the wounds again. But now that she's starting to believe crazier things about her family, it made more sense.

She folded her arms and sat back down onto her seat, thinking about yesterday's events. "The first time she did that... It was because she was reminded of what happened... But two days ago seemed to be a lot worse if you had me stay away... I know it was because the enemy attacked Kyoko-san and Chii-san, but I don't think that was enough for Ji-nee to be considered dangerous."

"You remember what Hiro said. Hakujouna makes his victims see their greatest fears and nightmares before eating their hearts. Because he was targeting Tomoko, she was seeing those same illusions and was already close to her tipping point. Seeing her friends like that made her snap and lose control of her powers."

"How... bad was it?"

Akane took a seat and tightly gripped the edges of her chair. "Worse than just releasing a burst of dark energy. You know about those powers I told you about. She pretty much has control of all of them when she snaps. A snap of her fingers lets her destroy an army of Teshitas in an instant. She views us as her family but her personality becomes warped. Almost like she wants to cause pain."

At this, Kiku shot up from her seat. "Ji-nee isn't like that!"

"I know that! That's why she's dangerous when she snaps, Kiku. She won't hesitate to fight us if her body allows it."

Kiku tightly clenched her fists, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Does Ji-nee know?"

"At the moment, not at all. She doesn't remember anything when she loses control of herself. But you are not telling her anything about it, Kiku. We're better off with her knowing nothing about this side of her. She'll lock herself away again and we don't want that. Not after spending almost three years getting her out of her shell."

"Nee-chan..." Kiku's fists clenched again before she performed a swift punch, only to have her sister catch it. "Why'd you block it?!" she cried, tears falling freely.

"The punch is better on a dummy bot than your sister, Kiku." Akane threw her younger sister's fist down before pulling her into a hug.

"We're such a messed up family..."

"I know... I know..."

* * *

"Ah! You made her cry again!" Tomoko chided when she found her sisters walking into the kitchen for breakfast in the morning. Kiku's eyes were still a little red and puffy and looked as if she didn't get enough sleep. "Kiku-chan's still our little sister, Onee-chan!"

Akane sheepishly laughed at her sister's pout. "We were just talking about battle plans, Tomoko. We just touched some sensitive topics."

Tomoko puffed up her cheeks for a pout before grabbing the red-trimmed plate on the table. "No bacon for you today!"

Akane paled before reaching for the plate, only for her sister to hold it away. "Not my bacon!" she cried, trying to get her food back. "Anything but the bacon, Tomoko! My wolf won't allow it! I can't go through my morning without my bacon!"

"Apologize to Kiku-chan if you want it!" Tomoko chided.

The MoriRed pouted at her sister's way of punishing her before looking at Kiku, bowing her head. "Sorry for making you cry last night."

Kiku looked between her sisters, only to sigh when she recognized the pattern. "You're forgiven." Just as she said those words, Akane quickly snatched her plate of breakfast from the MoriBlue and started to eat.

Shichi folded his arms, having witnessed the scene while washing the frying pans and cutting board. "Akane-sama. Be careful and chew slowly when you eat," he chided softly," Sometimes I wonder who's the oldest of the three of you when you act like this..."

* * *

Kiku folded her arms when she arrived at the front gates with Akane. "Just behave for today, okay? I'm sure you have a lot on your mind but don't let it bother you during school," the MoriRed said.

Kiku took in a deep breath before nodding. "Just keep an eye on her, Nee-chan." She turned on her heel before making her way into the school.

Akane sighed, spotting the anklet on her sister's leg. Seeing how her sister should have a little more of control over her powers for the time being, she made her way to the Lab. Her Cuff beeped to be another email.

"At least those are done..."

* * *

Hiro swiped his finger over the holographic screen in front of him, doing a final check on his latest equipment. He closed the window when he heard the door open and turned to find his eldest niece.

"You're early."

Akane shrugged and walked to his side. "Had to drop Kiku off. She's been feeling off after what happened."

"Are you sure it's okay to tell her?"

"For emergency purposes." She looked at what was on the table in front of her, only to see something similar to a skateboard shaped closer to a surfboard at the front. She looked at her uncle, an eyebrow raised in confusion. "Skateboards?"

"Actually, no. Traffic is too cumbersome. Place your hand on it."

Akane looked at her uncle quizzically but did as told, only for her Cuff to light up as well as the edges of the board. She heard soft whirrs from it before it started to float, making her step back.

"Your father and I have been trying to develop and perfect the idea of hovering vehicles. Both of your parents used prototypes in case they had to get to the scene quickly. With you girls travelling to different areas, it's probably easier if you had a little help to shorten the travel time."

"Isn't it a little cliché to make them hoverboards?" she teased.

"We're still developing alternatives that would make it easier. That and legal issues when it comes to other forms of transportation. The one I gave you during that concert incident was still a little faulty but just enough to get your friend to safety." He took hold of the equipment before setting it onto the ground. "Why don't you try it out?"

The MoriRed looked at the board before finding lit outlines for her feet. She tilted her head before placing one foot on an outline, only for metallic straps to hold her feet in place. Intrigued, she placed her other foot onto the board. She tilted herself in a few directions, only for the board to move in order to correct her balance.

She looked at her uncle. "Nice."

Hiro smiled, glad to have her approval. "I figured because you girls don't have too much experience with similar tools, we would equip it with a gyroscope and transmitters to make it easier for steering and balance. It will take time to get used to, though."

"As long as we can save time." She jumped off. She noticed it started to fold into itself, shrinking into the size of a cherry. She picked it up, confused at how much it shrank.

"That feature was what delayed the project," Hiro explained with a smug smile. "Luckily we were able to replicate those fictional nanotechnology to make it more plausible."

"Guess the delay was to make sure it doesn't blow up in our pockets, huh?" She threw it into the air before catching it, seeing no reaction. "Handy." She stuffed it into her hoodie pocket. She then took a seat. "So any updates on the data I sent?"

Hiro nervously pursed his lips, unsure how to respond. "I… suppose it's better if you see it for yourself," he managed to say. Seeing the concerned look on his niece, he nodded his head over to the door and led her to her father's Lab, making her stop.

She took in a shaky breath, seeing how it's serious enough to keep it in there. She stepped in to be greeted by her parents' suits. She took in another breath before softly saying "Hey… I'm back…"

Hiro looked at the MoriRed, knowing she often hides how much she misses her parents in front of others. He always made sure to bring her to his brother's lab so that seeing their suits would give her some form of comfort she's been craving since their deaths. He recalled the first time she entered without her sisters and broke down when she held her mother's helmet, muttering apologies and such. He just decided to give her time until she was ready to discuss any further information between the Base and Lab.

She gently took hold of the wolf plush at the base of the glass case that held her own suit, seeing how it was from when she was little. She held it close, taking in the scent of the fabric softener that shows the Lab has been taking care of it for times like this. There was a hint of metal in the scent but probably because of the fact her uncle has been working in the room from time to time.

She took a seat in her father's chair, not letting go of the plush. "So what were the results?"

Hiro placed his hand on the desk, pulling up a few screens that held graphs and data lists. "We were able to compare the energy levels to your mother's since she had a good grasp of those powers." He gestured to the white waves. "Those are your mother's at her peak strength. And those-" he gestured towards the blue ones that seemed to be more violent," -are your sister's from two days ago." He pulled up another screen that showed a similar yet more violent wavelength. "And now compare it to the incident four years ago."

Akane slid the chair closer to the desk, inspecting the charts. She tilted her head when the most recent incident wasn't as catastrophic as the one years ago. "So why are they so different from my mom's?"

"That, we're still investigating. A possible reason is that she is a part of those powers, giving her full control. It would make sense given how Tomoko loses consciousness after using so much to that degree."

"She did seem to mention something like that..."

"I can't be here for much longer. It'd put too much of a strain on Tomoko-chan's little body."

Her hands tightly clenched at the memory. "What doesn't make sense is the toll these powers take on our body. Even with the Limiters, we're already releasing too much yet we're fine. Even Tomoko with her telepathy and healing abilities."

"Your bodies are slowly adapting but even that wouldn't explain it. I'd really like to investigate further but we don't have enough information and we can't risk letting her surface again. It's too much of a risk if the enemy is keeping an eye on her."

The MoriRed leaned back in the chair, folding her arms. "That's the most worrisome..."

* * *

Tomoko plopped down onto a bench outside the school gym, wiping away the excess sweat from kendo practice. She let out a sigh and let the spring wind gently hit her face.

"Here."

She looked up to find a can of juice held out to her and looked at the visitor to be Satoshi. He seemed to have changed out of his kendo uniform and into his summer uniform, seeing how it's now a little warm and the usual afternoon practices tends to leave him drenched in his jacket. A grey towel was draped around his neck and his other hand had another can.

She gently accepted the drink. "Th-thank you..." She held the can in her hands, taking in the coolness of the aluminum against her fingers. Tempted by the drink, she carefully pulled on the tab to open it, finding satisfaction in the soft snap and hiss. The two gently clunked their drinks together before taking their first sips.

"Are you waiting on anyone, Tomoko?" the boy asked after a brief moment of silence.

"Onee-chan said she was going to pick me up after her last class. She said she wanted to talk on our way home so I should wait for her. What about you, Takahashi-kun?"

"I just finished cleanup duty, but-" He stood in front of her before placing his right foot behind his left and his right arm across his chest for a bow. "-It's a gentleman's job to keep a lone lady some company until it is deemed safe."

Tomoko looked at him and softly laughed, gently pushing his shoulder for a playful shove. "You're always saying things like that. I'm surprised you're always confused about girls confessing to you after you keep saying things like that."

At this, the young boy blushed before taking his seat. "W-well... It's kind of my grandpa's fault. He always taught me to be a gentleman to all of the girls, saying that it will come in handy one day. But I'm leaving myself free of any kind of relationship until I'm ready to tell someone I like about my feelings. It wouldn't seem fair to accept the other girls if I just see them as friends or classmates."

"I bet your friends are jealous of the attention."

"Mm... Sometimes, I guess. But that's only when it's the girls they like. But does that mean you're jealous, Tomoko?"

It was the small girl's turn to blush, almost dropping her can but quickly caught it. "I-I didn't mean it like that, Takahashi-kun!"

Satoshi softly laughed before gently poking his friend's forehead. "I just wanted to tease you a little bit. Besides, you've been a little down lately. Chi-chan and Kyoko are out at rehearsals again so I guess you must have felt a little lonely."

Tomoko froze, recalling what happened the day prior. She tightly gripped the can as her gaze cast downwards. "Well... I guess you can say that..."

"Hm?"

The MoriBlue gently brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "I haven't talked to them since yesterday... After a monster attacked the area near us, I thought it'd be safe to be separated from them for now... But..." Her grip tightened and the metal started to bend. "Onee-chan has been acting strangely... Kiku-chan, too... I know they're keeping it secret for my sake, but the way Onee-chan was this morning... The look in her eyes were too much like what happened a few years ago..."

Satoshi leaned forward, unsure how to respond. The girl has always been mysterious to him and he didn't really know much about her past. The only reason they became friends was because he transferred to the school the same time she returned. He recalled how fearful she was of him and all of the other boys in their class, but wasn't sure if there was a way to tell her that he only wanted to help. He even heard rumors from his classmates that she was attacked in an alley and kidnapped in middle school and a few even made fun of her for it. Some of the upperclassmen even cornered her enough for her to go into a panic attack. He found himself stepping in to stop them to end her suffering but was more shocked that she broke down in his arms after weeks of avoiding him.

He wasn't sure if the rumors were true or what happened to the small girl but swore from that day on to protect her and show her that he's a good person and that she should feel safe around him. She has opened up to him more throughout the school year and was even brave enough to join the kendo team after some coaxing from her sisters. He was happy that she's healed from the initial trauma at the beginning of the school year, but always worried of the possibility that she'll break and fall into that dark hole again. He was aware of her sporadic nightmares of the incident so he always made sure she had someone to support her and for the others to keep an eye out if she needed any help.

"Maybe that's what she wants to talk about with you. Surely there's a lot on her mind and she wants to do her best to look out for you."

"But she's already done so much… It just feels like I'm a burden to them."

"I'm sure they wouldn't think that. You're all sisters, aren't you?"

"We are, but…"

"Yo."

The two looked up to find Akane on her hoverboard. She jumped off, letting it shrink and return to her pocket. "Was I interrupting something?"

"Onee-chan…" Tomoko stood up and quickly shook her head. "I-it's nothing. T-Takahashi-kun was keeping me company while I waited and-"

"It's fine." Akane looked at the boy, making him flinch a little at her gaze. "Thanks for keeping an eye on her, Takahashi."

"S-sure. No problem." He looked at his friend. "I'll see you at practice tomorrow." He gently petted her head. "Get home safe with your sister, okay?" He readjusted the shinai slung over his shoulder before making his way home.

Tomoko gave a gentle wave and looked at her sister. "I-it really wasn't-" She was cut off when Akane rested a hand on her head.

"It's fine. You don't have to explain, Tomoko. I already trusted him with helping you during school hours. It doesn't hurt to have some company." She started to walk off, prompting Tomoko to follow her. "Any ideas for dinner?"

"N-not really… What about you, Onee-chan? Do you have any suggestions?"

The MoriRed looked up in thought, trying to come up with the main dish for the night. "Hmm... What about korokke? We haven't had that in a while."

"Only because we almost burned down the kitchen the first time."

This made Akane laugh at the memory. Shichi insisted that the girls would start cooking for themselves once in a while so it would give him more time to clean the house after a month. They understood what had to be done in terms of prepping, but the actual cooking process was usually left to their parents depending on difficulty or if it had to be fried. She actually couldn't help but to blame their mother for keeping them away from the kitchen whenever she fries food so they never really knew the right temperature or cooking time. Ever since that incident, Shichi would keep a close eye on them if they ever thought about deep frying food again.

"Lesson learned: never let the one resistant to heat deal with the oil," she laughed. She wiped a stray tear from her eye before wrapping an arm around her sister. "But why not? We still have the recipe written somewhere. All three of us can make it."

The two entered a supermarket after walking around more, picking out groceries and a few snacks. Tomoko soon remembered something when she picked up a packet of cherries. "Ah. Onee-chan. What was that thing you were riding on before? Did Hiro-ojisan email us again?"

"Hm?" The MoriRed placed the bag of apples into the cart before taking out her hoverboard capsule. "You mean this? Yeah. After what happened, they did some final tests so it would be easier for us to get to places. I would have been able to pick you up in about a minute but I had to drop Ttaru home."

At this, Tomoko's expression changed from curiosity to sadness at the reminder. This didn't go unnoticed by the college student. She sighed before resting a hand on her sister's head again, a habit to comfort the small girl. "You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened. Kyoko and Chiharu don't so you shouldn't. Besides, we don't know where the enemy will pop up so it's easier to take these rather than running or waiting for a train." She took out a metallic case from her back pocket, popping it open to have her sisters' capsules.

She took out the blue one before placing it into Tomoko's hands. "I'll teach you how to use it when we have time. Think of this as a way to get you and your friends out of the fights if you think you can't handle it by yourself." She pocketed the case before pushing the cart towards the vegetable section. "They're synced with our Cuffs so you can control when you want them to grow and shrink." She started to pick out the tomatoes but saw the hesitation from her little sister. "Tomoko?"

The MoriBlue nervously gripped the edge of the cart, her lower lip stuck between her teeth. "Onee-chan... Was that all you had to do at the Lab...? Getting our hoverboards? I-I'm sure we could have gone after school finished..."

Akane let out a sigh before placing the bag of potatoes in the cart and poked her sister's nose. "That's a story for another time."

"When will that be?"

The MoriRed paused, unsure if she'll even tell her sister about her other half. "Later. Not soon, but when the time comes. Okay?"

Tomoko looked at her sister, only to notice the fear and guilt in her red eyes. Seeing how she shouldn't press further, she gave a small nod. "Okay..."

* * *

Kiku gently tilted her body back and forth, making the hoverboard move to balance her. She let out an amused hum before making it fly up and turning her upside down. She folded her arms, seeing how the straps were holding her in place. "They really outdid themselves with this."

"Kiku-sama. No flying in the house," Shichi chided as he put his hands on his hips. "You'll scratch the ceiling with that thing."

"Okay~" She let the board let go of her feet, making her do a flip to land on her feet. She caught the capsule before stuffing it into her pocket. "I'm guessing dinner is ready?"

"Y-yes. They called me to ask you to set up the table."

"Ah. Okay." Kiku went into the kitchen where she found Tomoko gently patting the finished korokke with a paper towel as Akane put the finishing touches for the salads. "Ah. Korokke." She went into the cabinets to take out the bowls and utensils, judging which ones would fit today's dinner. She quickly set up the utensils onto the table before scooping the rice into the bowls. "Do you guys want anything to drink?"

"Just tea is fine," Akane said as she placed the salads and dressings onto the table.

"Okay~" Kiku went to fetch the drinks, placing them on the table as Tomoko did the same for the korokke. "Glad you didn't burn them this time."

"Hey. You saw us practice with tempura and gyoza. This is nothing," Akane snapped while ruffling her sister's hair. "Come on. Let's all eat."

The three took their seats before clapping their hands together. " _Itadakimasu!_ " they said before digging in.

Shichi watched from the doorway, only to smile at the lack of tension in the room compared to morning. He gathered his cleaning supplies before heading to the Base, only to find Hiro downloading files from Akane's emails. "Ah. Hiro. Guess you're awake right now."

"Just doing a check while they're busy. I have to log in the reports into my system for backup." The large robot heard a chime before deleting the emails and closing the window, confusing the house robot.

"Eh? You're not saving them for Akane-sama? It's her personal email."

"Some of this information is best not shared with her," Hiro said," There are too many risks if they know too much. My worry is if the enemy might catch on after what happened. Hopefully that seal lasts before they tell her the truth."

Shichi saddened at the news, worried for the girls. "They're really shouldering so much for girls their age. I'm worried if these peaceful moments will continue."

"They'll be fine. Their parents have faith in them."

 _Hiro. Shichi. Watch over the girls, okay?_

 _K-Kenta-sama? Sakura-sama? W-wait! Don't do anything crazy!_

 _We leave them in your hands._

Shichi tightly held onto his broom, remembering the last words spoken to them. He looked at the stairs where he heard some small arguments and laughter. "Will we ever tell them?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. But for their sake, it's best if they don't know about their final words. Their powers are growing. Being given that kind of information will break them more than they already have."

* * *

 _ **A/N: So... what do you think of this short chapter? I wanted it to be a little more lighthearted after what happened in the previous chapter. I really tried to be as vague as I can about the whole Tomoko situation, but I do promise that the entire story will be popping up once in a while. I also wanted to work with their interactions with each other during certain days and situation. There was a moment in Chapter Four but I thought I could take it to the next level with the bacon and them actually failing at cooking for once lol. But I am planning on doing something for Chapter 10. I will be bringing back Nightshift and I think this one will be a nice half-plot/half-filler episode.**_

 _ **To Gosei Knight: Thanks for the clarification and yes, I did fix the artwork. And I'm sad to hear about GaoGod. I hope things turn out alright for him. Let me know if there are any further issues.**_

 ** _Time for Translations!  
_**

 ** _Korokke is a deep fried potato and ground meat patty that is a common dish in Japan. Usually it's translated as "croquette". Well "translated" because it's a borrowed word. I'm mainly including this on the list simply because not many people might know the term as well as they would for "tempura" and "gyoza"  
"Itadakimasu" can be translated as "I will gladly eat". Subbers often translate it as "Let's eat" or "Thanks for the food" but the idea is the same. It's common in Japanese etiquette to say it before eating but it does not have to be out loud or as loud as you would often hear in anime.  
"-sama" is an honorific and is most commonly used when talking to a superior when addressing them by name or title. In Shichi's case, he is a robot designed to take care of the house and those who live in it, making the family his masters. Because he is programmed to be more casual with them, he would use the honorific at the end of their first name, signifying his relationship with them as well as his duty._**

 ** _Please read and review and I hope you guys can come back for the next chapter!_**

 ** _Until next time, じゃね~!_**


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: I know... It's only been a week... But this is mainly half filler half plot of an episode. I dunno. I needed to get something related to the plot out before I can find an opportunity to introduce new team members. Hopefully you can all enjoy this chapter and stay for the next one.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Sentai. I only own my original character and the story.**_

* * *

Kiku walked through a CD store, browsing through the selections of new singles that were released. She took one off the shelf, inspecting the cover before turning it over to look at the song list on the back.

She heard the camera shutter from a phone and turned, only to have a group of people quickly walk away. She raised an eyebrow, unsure what was happening that would make everyone act in that sort of manner. Choosing to ignore it, she picked out a few more CDs before making her way to the register.

"Your total would be 4785 yen."

Kiku tapped her phone against the pad on the counter, allowing the cashier to bag her purchase while the receipt was being printed. She gave her thanks before taking her leave, only to have a crowd of people at the entrance, the flashes from their phones almost blinding.

"Aika-chan!" "Over here, over here!"

She stumbled back into the store, rubbing her eyes from the camera flashes. "What the hell...?" She made her way to the back of the store, raising her Cuff to her face. "Nee-chan. I'm in a little bit of a pinch..."

* * *

Kiku plopped down onto the couch. After the phone call, Akane rushed over on her hoverboard and managed to get her out from the back entrance. It took some time to leave but the staff seemed to have understood rather quickly and allowed them the back entrance.

"What happened?" Tomoko asked as she placed a tray of drinks onto the coffee table.

"I'd like to ask the same question..." Kiku groaned as she massaged her temples. A phone was held out to her and she took it, only to be Twitter with several tweets and photos of her.

"Looks like people mistook you for the idol that's been rising in the ranks," Akane said before taking her glass of iced tea.

"Wait what?" She scrolled through the tweets, seeing how they weren't too long ago and many surprised responses. "How have I've never heard of this girl and how does she even look like me?"

"Aika Ito. She's been in the business for about a year and her popularity has been rising recently. At least that was what Kyo-chan said when I asked," Tomoko said. "But she does hold a close resemblance to you, Kiku-chan. We were surprised when we saw the photos."

Kiku let out a small groan and leaned back against the backrest. "I can't believe I get caught in idol business..."

"Well I'm sure you're not going to be happy about this news," Hiro said as he walked up from the Base. He turned on the TV as it connected to his tablet. "Right after those photos were uploaded onto Twitter, we received a request from her manager. Apparently, she's been receiving threats from fans and is worried of what will happen at her next fan event."

"So they're asking me to take her place? Why in the hell would they ask a random teenager to take an idol's place in case of an emergency? Do you know what the hell those crazy fans bring to those events? You're risking a random life to protect a celebrity."

"You're not wrong, but the reason why we have to accept this case is because there might be a link to Nightshift." He pulled up a video that seemed to be a commercial.

The video seemed to have a girl that resembled Kiku in a pink dress cheerfully dancing to some music with a few mascots.

"Leave your heart aflutter. Give yourself some courage with the new diamond collection!"

Hiro paused when there was a closeup of the heart-shaped pendant around her neck. But rather than the pendant catching the girls' attention, it was more of the shadow hidden in the bushes behind the idol. "They've been keeping an eye on her throughout the commercial and rumors have come up that the commercial was cursed when they noticed the Teshita in the background. We should take this chance to investigate why they have a sudden interest in her."

"So it's more than just fan threats that makes them want a fake for the event," Kiku said, receiving a nod from the robot. She sighed. "When do we have to meet her?"

"Tomorrow."

* * *

"I see you are just as curious, Harpy," Dorgon teased as his comrade watched the flames.

The elite let out an annoyed hum and turned away. "I might as well try to see what the fuss is about. One of those children has been showing herself to the public so I figured I might as well investigate. Besides, the Master seems to be restless so it must have something to do with why that family has been enemies with us for so long."

* * *

Kiku nervously shook her leg as the three sat in a restaurant. It was a little sudden for them to meet the idol in a place they don't normally visit, but seeing how they had more privacy in this area, it made more sense so others wouldn't be surprised.

"You do know you can still say no if you don't want to do it," Akane said as she took a sip of her tea. "You know we can still investigate without making the switch."

The MoriYellow lightly puffed up her cheeks in a pout. "Mou. I'll decide once we know what kind of person she is."

They heard footsteps to find the idol along with both a man and woman, both in suits. The idol wore a simple white top with a grey skirt to not draw too much attention. They all took their seats and gave their greetings.

"Hello. My name is Satoru Hideyoshi. I'm Aika's manager," the man said with a nod of his head. "This is my assistant." The woman nodded her head in greeting.

"I'm Aika Ito. It's nice to meet you," the idol said with a smile before looking at Kiku. "I can see why people would mistake you for me. Sorry for the trouble yesterday."

"I-it's fine... You can call me Kiku. Kiku Tanaka. These are my sisters, Akane and Tomoko." She internally cringed, not used to saying her sisters' names out loud. Usually it was Akane who would introduce them to others but given the situation, she had to take the lead. "But is there a reason to call us for this request?" she asked, seeing how she had to act oblivious to the situation.

Satoru cleared his throat before taking out a folder. "We're not sure if you've heard the rumor, but there was an issue that popped up when the station first aired the commercial." He took out a piece of paper that held the "cursed" photo. "We've been worried that due to the recent monster attacks, there might be a chance they'll attack the handshake event like they did for the concerts not too long ago." He quickly held up his hands. "Of course, we really don't want to force you, since there is a risk. This is a very selfish request, but I can assure you that we will heighten security just for precautions."

Kiku looked at her sisters, only to have them nod in understanding. Seeing how they'll agree with any decision she'll make, she looked at the manager. "I'll do it. But my sisters are following me when I take her place."

"A-are you sure about that?"

"You can trust them. Besides, they wouldn't want their little sister put into danger for something like this. It's safer this way."

"I-I see... Then about compensation-"

"We don't need any." She was quick to respond, seeing how some businesses will often try to bribe in case of future requests.

The manager was caught off guard but her abrupt response but made sure to respond. "I-I understand. Th-thank you for helping us with this situation."

"It's fine. But would it be okay if I talk to Aika in private?"

The manager hesitated, unsure what would happen if the two were left alone. Aika simply smiled at the request. "That's fine. Sato-P. You and Masaki-san can wait outside with her sisters. I'll be fine."

"I-If you say so..." He took his leave, making his assistant follow. Kiku nodded at her sisters who also left, making sure to keep the managers company while the two talked.

Aika rested her elbows on the table, her chin on the back of her hand. "Kiku-chan, right? It's the first time I've met a doppelganger."

"Same here. But I have a few questions. Do you have any idea on why you could be targeted by these monsters?"

"Not really. I don't think I've really done anything to be targeted. Well. Except for that one monster that kept popping up. Sato-P panicked and cancelled my concert when he got word. We managed to reschedule it when we found out masked heroines destroyed it. It's like an anime in this city."

"I suppose."

The two sat in silence before Aika spoke again. "Tanaka. Are you related to Kenta Tanaka?" she asked, catching the girl off guard. "Ah. I should be more specific. He's the President of MoriMetals. Was, after that accident last year I mean."

Kiku tightly gripped the ends of her shorts at the mention of her father. "He's my father. His brother and my uncle took over the company for the time being until any one of us decides to take over. How do you know him?"

"I remember meeting him the day before my audition. Apparently the company took charge of our production company's sound systems by providing the necessary equipment. I'm surprised at how flexible the company is to be able to create so much at that variety. But I thought it was just a coincidence when I saw him on the news. I was actually surprised because they mentioned that it left his three daughters alone and nothing else was heard of them. I remember seeing a photo and was surprised at how similar we looked. Well. I kept it secret from my manager because that would have been confusing and we would have went through with this plan sooner. It wouldn't be right to request such a thing to a mourning daughter."

"Things tend to happen. Mah. I guess when he found out, he took the chance to use me as a fake during dangerous situations."

"Of course. He doesn't want to deal with cancelling or postponing events, but it was really selfish to make that decision once he saw the tweets. Sorry about that."

"It's fine. Judging by his reactions, it makes sense at how much he panics and wants to do what he thinks is best. Even if the morals can be a little low." Her gaze lowered to the pendant around the idol's neck. "Hm? Isn't that the one from the commercial?" she asked, feigning innocence.

Aika gently took hold of it, softly smiling as she held it. "They let me keep it after we finished filming. I didn't want to lose it so I thought it would be best to always have it." She softly giggled. "A little crazy, right? Wearing the pendant from the cursed commercial?"

"Not really. I figured that some celebrities might want to keep gifts safe as well as give the companies some publicity." Her Cuff rang to be a message from her sisters. Taking it as a signal to leave, she stood up. "Well. I should probably go. Have some homework to finish." She reached into her pocket before taking out the business card Akane gave her. She held it out to the idol. "The next time you need to contact us, just call this number. You can tell us the time to get to the event."

"I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

"Hiro-jisan. Does the Lab have a 3D printer?" Kiku asked as she was on the phone with her uncle.

 _"Mostly for testing prototypes and making molds. Any reason?"_

"Part of this case we have to take. I'll send you the info on what to print and I can come pick it up after school tomorrow."

 _"No problem. We'll get right on it. Oh, and make sure to behave, okay?"_

Kiku rolled her eyes at the reminder. "Okay." She hung up and pocketed her phone, only to have her sisters look at her.

"Any reason to 3D print something?" Akane asked.

"I just have a few suspicions. I might be overreacting, but I just want to confirm it. It seems off."

The MoriRed noticed how perplexed her sister was about the situation and faced forward. "If you say so."

* * *

Tomoko carefully squeezed the frosting bag as she decorated some cookies. She smiled when she finished, admiring her work. "They came out really well, Tomoko-sama," Shichi said," Looks like you haven't lost your touch."

"I have been practicing at Stars whenever Tenchou-san needs help." She carefully plated the cookies, letting the robot clean up. "I'm going to bring these to Kiku-chan." She placed them onto a tray along with a glass of milk before making her way to the bedrooms. She reached for the handle until she heard both of her sisters.

 _"Makes sense for them to think it's related to that. But it's weird how they mistook her for you, Kiku,"_ Akane said from the other side of the door.

 _"That's my main concern. But as long as this keeps them away from Ji-nee, we might as well go through with this switching plan. Even if they stop going after Aika, they could still go after the two of us as long as we have the pendant."_

 _"Either way, they'll have their suspicions about her after that incident. We have to keep a close eye on her. Hiro-ojisan even told me that the other Cuffs are starting to react."_

Kiku sighed upon understanding the message. _"Which means we have to keep training these powers to protect her."_ There was a brief moment of silence until Kiku spoke again. _"I wonder how she will take it..."_

 _"Probably not as calmly as we did when we found out. It brought too much trouble for her. Imagine what would happen if she was targeted again for it."_

Tomoko tightly held onto the tray, unsure what to make of their conversation. She took in a shaky breath before knocking on the door. "Kiku-chan? Can I come in?" she asked, her voice cheerful to hide her shock and fear.

The door opened and Kiku looked at her sister. "Did you need something, Ji-nee?" Her gaze went to the tray and noticed the cookies.

"I made cookies and thought you might want some. I was worried you might be nervous about tomorrow so I thought these might cheer you up."

"A-ah. Thanks." Kiku accepted the tray but noticed the look in her sister's eyes. "You want to come in? Nee-chan and I are about to start a one-on-one in Smash."

"I-I'm fine. I promised Hiro that I would train with him when I was done cooking. I'm not good at video games, anyway."

"I-I see... Well thanks for the cookies. You can train with Hiro until dinner. Nee-chan and I are taking that shift today."

"O-okay."

Kiku gave a small nod Tomoko took her leave. The MoriYellow let out a sigh before placing the tray onto her desk. "I hate keeping these things a secret..."

"We kind of don't have a choice, Kiku. She's not ready to know about it yet."

"I know..." She picked up a cookie in the shape of a bunny. "I'm just worried she'll learn about it before we tell her..."

"We just have to be careful around her." Akane turned on the TV and Switch before holding out the second controller. "Wanna beat up some baddies to take the edge off?"

Kiku quickly snatched up the controller before plopping down onto her bed, folding up her legs to be more comfortable. "No need to ask me twice."

Meanwhile, Tomoko was sitting on the bottom of the stairs in the Base, her right hand gently fiddling with her locket. Hiro walked up to her before kneeling in front of her. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah..." She stood up and smoothed out her shirt. "We should... we should go."

"If you say so."

* * *

Kiku sighed as she looked in the mirror, her hair pulled up to the side with a pink scrunchie. She questioned why she even bought one when she was a child, but figured it could help with the mission. She put her hands on her hips, trying to think of a cute way to pose.

 _Idols should be bright and happy._

 _Sometimes they can have an attitude but Aika-chan is the bubbly type._

She let out another sigh, recalling the advice Hotaru and Chiharu gave her. "Bright and bubbly..." She grimaced, knowing it's nothing like her. She looked at her hands as sparks surrounded them. "Kind of ironic."

She went to her desk before opening up the bottom drawer, only to be a collection of model guns. Something her parents let her have to practice drawing and unlocking for her lessons. They were mostly harmless and her father tinkered with the trigger so they wouldn't do anything if she were to pull it. She took out a model version of her rifle and the bayonet, only to eye the short blade as she held onto it. She never really did much with it since her fighting style was more long-range compared to her sisters.

 _Bright and happy._

"Bright... Ah!" She rushed to the Base where she found Hiro updating the systems. "Hiro! Can I use my rifle for a bit?"

"Shouldn't you be training for the mission?" the robot asked, motioning to her scrunchie.

"I was! But I got an idea while I was training! Come on! Let me see my rifle! I can't work with the idea without it!"

Hiro looked at the girl before letting out a sigh, knowing she can be a bit stubborn and the fact she was still thirteen did not help. "Alright. But no more than two hours. You still have to sleep and train for the mission."

"Yeah, yeah. Now come on! I need to see my baby!"

Akane peeked in from the stairway, an ice pack in her hands. She softly smiled before heading back to the living room where Tomoko was resting. "At least she's still full of energy." She rested the ice pack onto her sister's shoulder, only for the smaller girl to wince. "You shouldn't have pushed yourself. Hiro said you kept going even when your Cuff was ringing."

Tomoko pursed her lip and pushed herself up by her arms. "I still have a lot to catch up on..."

"Doesn't mean you should train until you break." She noticed her little sister had a distant look in her eyes, unable to make contact with the MoriRed. "Hey. You okay?"

Sensing her sister's concern, Tomoko took hold of a throw pillow and buried her face in it, unable to tell her sister about eavesdropping. "I'm fine..."

Akane looked at her sister in worry, seeing how she was suddenly quiet. "If you say so..."

* * *

Kiku gently clasped the necklace around her neck as she looked into the mirror in the dressing room. She sighed and leaned back in her chair. "To think I'd really let myself be caught in this..."

Her Cuff rang and she answered. "Nee-chan?"

 _"We did a scan of the venue. Seems clear right now, but we'll keep an eye out for any signs of Nightshift."_

"Thanks."

 _"And Kiku?"_

"Yeah?"

 _"Be safe."_

Kiku looked at her Cuff and let out a short laugh. "Right back atcha, Sis." She stood up, gently fixing the t-shirt Aika gave her and the cotton pink tulle skirt. She tugged on her combat boots before looking at the mirror for a last-minute check on her hair and makeup.

There was a knock on the door as Aika stepped in with her manager. "Yaho~ We came to tell you that it's almost time to start," the idol beamed. To disguise herself, she was wearing the black merchandise T-shirt and skinny jeans with sneakers. She had a white cap and opaque sunglasses to hide her face.

"Yeah. I'm ready." Kiku eyed the idol, seeing how even with the disguise, she resembled the MoriYellow on a regular outing. Seeing how she shouldn't look for so long, she looked at the manager. "Shall we get going?"

"Ah. Yes!" Satoru led her out of the dressing room towards the large table, only for the venue to quake at the loud cheers and excited shouts from the fans.

Kiku winced at the sudden uproar, now regretting to take off her hearing aids that were removed to avoid suspicion. _"Guess this is what Hiro-ji meant by too loud..."_ She took in a deep breath, making sure she has to stay in character.

Making sure to not lose the smile on her face, she went up to the table and accepted the microphone by the staff member standing there. "Hi, everyone~" She let out a small giggle when the fans cheered. "Thank you all for coming today! I love you!" More cheers were heard before the event started.

Akane snorted as she stood at the side with Tomoko. "Not once did I even think that Kiku would turn into an idol for a day."

"It's really out of character for her," Tomoko said sheepishly as she watched her sister acting all bubbly while meeting "fans". "But she worked really hard for it. Even being able to imitate Aika-chan's signature and catchphrase."

"Best way to fool the enemy. Have to be as close as possible in order to get it right."

"Yeah..." Tomoko's eyes turned violet, making her look around. "Nightshift...?"

Akane took off her glasses, scanning the area. She noticed a few suspicious looking figures in the crowd, one of them just a few feet from Kiku. She narrowed her eyes, only to find a sword hidden in the trench coat. "Looks like we do have some trouble. Tomoko."

Tomoko adjusted her hearing aids before her eyes glowed pink. _"Kiku-chan!"_

Kiku's ears perked at the call as another fan was escorted away. She looked at the one next in line before spotting the sword. "Clear the area!" she shouted. She swiped her hand over her Cuff, summoning her bayonet. She held it up to block the sword swung by the cloaked figure.

Screams rang through the venue as fans started to run away when more monsters jumped out towards the MoriYellow. She reached for her Cuff, twisting it to start the transformation.

 _Transform! Rabbit!_

" _ **Doubutsu Henshin!**_ " She transformed before taking out her rifle, shooting at the attackers.

They all fell to the ground, their cloaks coming off to reveal larger Teshitas with lightweight armor. "Biggers ones... Guess they really were targeting her."

Akane and Tomoko landed next to her, the latter checking on her sister. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Ji-nee. But at least our suspicions were correct."

Tomoko looked at the Teshitas and noticed their auras were stronger than usual. "We have to be careful with them... They're stronger than the ones we usually fight."

"Mah. With the three of us, we should be fine."

"Let's go!" Akane summoned her Claws before leaping towards the enemy, slashing down at one of them. They all charged at her but were pushed back by a wave of water. One went through but Akane grabbed its arm before making it turn, allowing bullets to strike it. She pushed it to the ground as it disappeared. "That's one."

"Three more!" Tomoko did a sweeping cut, knocking the ones in front of her towards the center of the hall. The team surrounded them. "Freeze Bubble!" She swung her blade, forming a wave of water that encircled the monsters. She pulled back, making the bubble burst into rings and tie the three together in ice.

Kiku let out an amused hum. "Guess that's what training was for. Nice." She removed the bayonet from her rifle before charging it with electricity. She looked at Akane before giving a small nod.

Taking it as a signal, Akane charged at the enemy, her Claws turning into flames and surrounding her arms. She jumped up before swinging down, knocking the Teshitas into the ground. Flames surrounded her legs before she did a sweeping kick, sending them to Kiku.

" _Light Sword!_ " Yellow light surrounded her weapon, turning it into the size of a sword. She swung, slicing through the Teshitas before they crumbled into ash. She softly smiled. "Well. At least I didn't slack on training, either."

* * *

"Guess they really can't do anything right," Harpy mused after watching the battle," Even with the Ooteshitas, they're still brainless."

"It was a good decision to send them rather than a brethren. It would have been too much of a hassle for a distraction since it was just someone who looks like her." Dorgon looked into the flames. "We just need to keep an eye on them more. See what it is they're hiding."

* * *

Kiku held out the pendant for Aika to take. The idol looked at it in confusion. Kiku pointed at the one the idol was wearing. "That one's a fake. We switched it when you took it off in the dressing room."

Aika's eyebrows raised at the claim before picking up her pendant. "I'm surprised at how well-made it is." She took it off to return to the yellow warrior. "I'm guessing that's another specialty of your family's company."

"You can say that." Kiku smiled before folding her arms. "But you should be fine. Those monsters shouldn't bother you anymore after today. Consider yourself safe from now on. You know. Aside from the crazy fans."

The idol softly laughed at the joke. "Well I'm glad to hear that. I hope the same goes to you if they ever mistake us for each other again now that they know there's two of us."

Kiku shrugged. "Pretty sure they'll know the difference. Mind keeping all this a secret? We have to keep this job on the down low."

"Of course. But just know that your team has a public figure as an ally."

"Much appreciated." Kiku looked over at her sisters who were settling some final issues with the managers. Aika noticed the look in her eyes and smiled.

"It's nice to have family like that. Always looking out for each other."

Kiku couldn't help but to smile. "Yeah... It is..."

* * *

Kiku fell back into her bed, burying her face into her pillow. "Ugh... I never thought having to act all happy and nice would be so tiring..." she groaned. Usagi jumped out of her pocket before laying down on the spare pillow. "Even Usagi agrees with me!"

Akane laughed at her youngest sister's whines. "Well at least that was over. Let's just hope that manager doesn't ask for you again. Aika's character doesn't suit you."

Kiku sat up at this. "Are you saying I'm not cute?" She felt her cheeks being pulled.

"You are in your own way. But the bubbliness is way too different." She gently pushed her sister back onto the bed before taking a seat on the desk chair. Her expression turned solemn. "Hey. You noticed something's off with Tomoko, right?"

Kiku sat up. "Not a surprise for you to notice. She seemed off when she brought in the cookies yesterday." Her eyes glowed in realization. "Do you think she heard us before she knocked?"

The MoriRed sighed, seeing how her sister now sees the issue. "That's what I'm worried about."

"Can't we just tell her now instead of waiting? She might be suspicious already since she already has more powers than we do."

"If only that was an option. The sooner she knows, the sooner the enemy will. We can't risk it."

"But shouldn't the plan also have made them look away?"

Akane shook her head before taking hold of the pendant. "It's possible they already lost suspicions of this. I doubt they'll forget what happened last week, too. We just have to wait until we have enough people to protect her. The two of us aren't enough even at this point."

Kiku tightly hugged the pillow. "Is there anything we can do...?"

"For now, we just have to train. Wait until we know who the Cuffs are reacting to and start making plans, then. We don't know who will be recruited or if we can trust them." She stood up. "Well. You and Tomoko had your turns yesterday. I'll be taking the room today for training. You can rest until dinner."

"No need to tell me twice." Kiku fell over in her bed, cuddling with her pillow.

Akane shook her head with a smile. "Always a child." She turned off the lights before heading to her room. She opened up her closet, examining her options for the training session. She took off her shirt, revealing her camisole before looking through her tank tops and t-shirts.

The door opened as Tomoko peeked in. "Onee-chan. What do you want for-?" She stopped when she saw the large scar that ran from her older sister's shoulder to lower back. "Onee...chan...?"

* * *

 _ **A/N: So what do you all think? Short like the last chapter. I know it bounces back and forth here and there but I wanted to experiment with the filler just in case I need another one. I even calculated the proper amount of episodes without filler and it's about 12 chapters less than a standard Sentai season. I'm not spoiling what goes on in the future chapters but I do look forward to the next one, especially with the cliffhanger. It's this start to the subplot introduced in Chapter 2/7.**_

 ** _Review? Please? i promise the next one will be better TTwTT_**

 ** _Until next time, じゃね~!_**


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: I feel like the chapters are getting shorter and shorter each time I upload... I know it will go back up but I think the next chapter should be longer than this one. Oh, well. Enjoy this week's chapter!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Sentai. I only own my original characters and the story.**_

* * *

Akane turned at the call but stopped when she realized it was Tomoko. "T-Tomoko..." She quickly threw a hoodie over her shoulders before going to her sister's side, only to find her shaking.

"H-how did you...? When did...? Why...?" Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she tried to find the right words. "I-I-I thought..."

"Tomoko. Tomoko, breathe. It's just a scar," Akane said in hopes of soothing her sister.

"Wh-why do you have one...? Wh-when did you...?" She tightly held onto Akane's arms in fear. Her eyes started to glow orange as she saw visions of her sister on the floor hurt, blood staining her clothes and the floor.

Akane noticed the amount of panic in her sister and quickly cupped her face. "Tomoko. Hey. Look at me. Look at me, okay?"

Tomoko shakily lifted her head to look at her sisters. "Why...?"

"I'm fine. I'm right here and I'm fine, Tomoko. It was an accident long before we started fighting. It's nothing to worry about."

"But-"

"But nothing. It's really nothing." She felt the small girl slowly calming, her grip loosening.

"O... okay..." Her voice faded as she spoke before she collapsed.

"Tomoko!" Akane quickly caught the small girl before she could hit the floor. She rested a hand on her sister's forehead to find it burning up. She looked out the door. "Shichi!"

* * *

Shichi carefully rested a cooling patch onto Tomoko's forehead as the girl slept. "I did a check and it's just a fever," he said before looking at the MoriRed. "Akane-sama. What happened that made her collapse?"

Akane hesitated as she reached for her scar, shocking him. "Sh-she couldn't have-!"

"It's fine, Shichi. She just... She was just surprised to see it since we can heal quickly. Not as fast as her, but fast enough to not scar."

"That's true, but you know how she is. You know how you got it in the first place and why it won't heal. If she realizes that she-"

"She won't, Shichi," Akane said sternly," Not now, not ever. I just have to find a way to explain to her how I got this so she wouldn't freak out."

"But-"

"Shichi."

The robot winced at her tone, seeing how she's really serious about keeping it a secret. "O-okay..."

* * *

Alarms rang through the shopping district as a few men ran out of a store, stuffed bags in their hands. They stopped when they found two figures landing in their path.

"Isn't it a little cliché to be robbing jewelry stores late at night?" the taller one teased as he rested his spear on his shoulder.

"Get out of the way!" one of the robbers shouted as he pulled out a dagger.

"Nii-san. We have to go easy on them since they're humans," the shorter one said.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get this over with." He twirled his weapon before the two charged.

* * *

Akane looked at the clock on the stove as she made breakfast. She gently transferred the egg onto the prepped plate, turning off the stove and placing the breakfast onto the table. Just as the plate hit the table, Kiku walked in with a yawn. "Morning..." she greeted sleepily, rubbing her eyes. She went to the fridge to grab some juice. "Nee-chan. Apple or orange?"

"Apple is fine." Akane closed the rice cooker, bringing the three filled bowls with her to the table. The two said their thanks before starting to eat.

Kiku looked at the empty blue chair in between them. "Did Ji-nee leave early?" she asked after swallowing a bite.

"I'm letting her sleep in today. She saw my scar yesterday and had a minor panic attack."

Kiku nearly choked on the cherry tomato she had in her mouth and coughed, quickly downing her juice. "What?! And you didn't tell me?! So her sleeping through dinner wasn't just fatigue?!"

"You can say that. I'm going to have a talk with her today so she could understand what happened."

Kiku's eyes narrowed. "You're going to come up with some random story, aren't you?"

"Well I can't really tell her the truth. She'll have nightmares for weeks."

"If you say so."

 _"In other news, two masked heroes stopped a group of robbers in the central shopping district. According to the robbers when they were apprehended, the two claimed to be a part of the Super Sentai team, Doubutsu Sentai Moriranger."_

The two looked at the TV when they heard the name. "Eh?"

 _"Seems like they're helping out in the neighborhood as well when they're not fighting monsters."_

 _"According to what they said during the fight, they want to keep the peace in the city even if the risk isn't as big. But there's no doubt they'll be helping the Morirangers with their future battles."_

"No way…"

"Guess the Spirits chose their partners already…" Akane heard her phone ringing and answered. "Hello?"

"Akane. Remember when I told you about Kuu and Jou's Cuffs?"

"Guess they found new owners. I'll be right over." She hung up before grabbing her hoodie.

"Hiro-ji?" Kiku asked, receiving a small nod.

"We're going to find out who the Cuffs went to."

"Can I-?"

"You're not following me," Akane said sternly, making her sister pout.

"I was going to ask to stay with Ji-nee if you're going to be investigating."

This made the eldest sister hesitate, unsure if she could trust the girl with that kind of responsibility. Kiku took notice of her worry and stood up, placing her emptied dishes into the sink. She grabbed her bag. "Guess I shouldn't be late, then…" She opened the front door when Akane spoke up.

"Sorry… She'll just be too unpredictable for you… We don't want you to get caught up in this mess…"

Kiku smiled at her sister, knowing they always wanted her to feel normal as the youngest. "It's a little too late for that, Nee-chan. But if you want me to stay away from her, I'll manage. Just know I'll be right over if anything happens." She closed the door behind her, leaving Akane to herself.

The MoriRed took in a shaky breath before looking at Shichi, the small robot having seen everything after making their lunches. "Look after her, okay? Call me if anything happens."

"O-okay. I'll call as soon as she wakes up so you know how she's feeling."

* * *

Kiku gently fiddled with her charm bracelet, running a finger over the small bunny that was close to the hook. She then took hold of the mouse and dog that were close, recalling what she overheard not too long ago.

 _"I really don't know how to talk to her. She grew up way too differently from us so it's hard to get through to her."_

 _"We always wanted her to be the most normal out of the three of us... It's no surprise that she would act like this..."_

Her lips nervously pressed together as she sighed. "We're anything but normal…"

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard someone calling her name. She looked up to find another girl with her hair pulled to the side and was wearing a cotton pink vest over her sailor uniform.

"Ah. Kimi. Did you need something?"

The girl pouted. "Mou. You've been spacing out ever since class started. I've been calling you the last two minutes and you've been in some kind of daze."

"S-sorry. I just have a lot on my mind right now. You know. Family troubles."

"Did something happen with your sisters again?" She put her hands on her hips. "Those bullies should really calm down. Teach her some of that combat training you went through when we were little."

Kiku couldn't help but to laugh at her friend's suggestion. "She's too nice for that. Besides, she has a few friends looking out for her."

"Well that's good. You always complained how she doesn't have enough friends. Ah. That reminds me. Have you've seen Ueno-kun on your way over today? He hasn't been showing to classes and we've been getting worried something might have happened."

"Shota? I've been busy yesterday so I wasn't sure." She took out her phone to see if she can text him.

"He's still small since he hasn't had his growth spurt yet. I'm worried he might have gotten into some kind of trouble."

Kiku gently snorted at the idea. "He's too careful to get into trouble, Kimi. Just last week, he was helping the Student Council President with the paperwork because he didn't want them to spill when they left the copy room."

The girl let out a worried hum. "That's true… But that makes it even more worrying."

"I'm surprised you're so worried. Don't tell me…" Her eyes narrowed in amusement as she looked away from her phone towards her friend. "You like Shota?"

At this, her friend blushed at the accusation. "D-don't be silly, Kiku! He's just one of those guys you can't help but to look out for! You know all of the girls like that side of him!"

"Hmm… I wonder if he'll respond back if I tell him that you have a crush on him." She started to type again, only to hold her phone away when Kimi reached for it.

"Anything but that!"

Kiku laughed as she held her phone away from the girl. She heard her phone ringing and opened the text message. She smiled before holding it out to her friend. "He just caught a cold so he'll be out of school for a bit."

Kimi pouted at the tease. "At least you didn't actually tell him."

"Yeah, yeah." The MoriYellow pushed her friend off from on top of her as the bell rang for their next class to start.

* * *

Dorgon casually flipped through the battles, trying to find a hint in the situation. He pulled out the book, flipping over to the information on the girls. He skimmed his finger over the scratched-out line, curious of what is missing. "Harpy."

The general looked up from inspecting her nails. "You need something?" she asked, albiet annoyed.

"Those Ooteshitas you sent out in your last mission. Mind if I borrow them for a little while? There's something I'm rather curious about."

"Not sure what you mean by that, but go ahead. I haven't found use to them just yet."

"Just a little distraction for the children. I want to investigate a little more."

"So you still have your eyes on that one?"

"As always."

* * *

Akane sighed as the computer gave her another "Lost Signal" warning. She found a cup of coffee held out to her, only to be her uncle. She gently took hold of it. "Thanks…" She took a sip, only to grimace at the taste.

"Just thought you might want the caffeine for today," Hiro said before looking at the computer. "Guess those two really want to keep their partners a secret from us."

"They're more rebellious from what Obaa-chan told me. They tend to cause some mischief from time to time, so it's no surprise they'd want to surprise us with who we'll be fighting with."

"Do you think you'll trust them?"

"Not sure… It's a big responsibility to use these powers. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

Hiro slowly nodded, knowing the weight held in the Cuffs. He was about to say something when Akane's phone rang. She quickly answered when she saw the Caller ID.

"Shichi?…Yeah. Yeah, I'll be right over. …She's fine, right? …Okay. Just give me a few minutes and I'll be right over." She stood up. "I have a checkup to do at home. Call me if you get something." She was about to leave when Hiro stopped her.

"Akane."

She looked back at him, only to find a black metallic box held out to her. It was rather small and barely covered his palm. She looked at him, unsure if she should take it.

"Just in case you get home to something you don't want to see."

She took in a deep breath before accepting it. "Thanks."

* * *

Akane rushed into the house, taking the stairs two steps at a time before reaching Tomoko's room. She found Shichi leaning against the door, his face worrisome. "Shichi." She went to his side, making him look at her. "How bad was it?"

The small robot hesitated, twiddling his fingers as he tried to find the right words. "She… She asked for her book…" he said, his voice lowering with each word.

The MoriRed took in a shaky breath at his words, unwilling to believe them. She took in a few more deep breaths before looking at the robot. "Let me talk to her. Hopefully she'll end up fine."

"O-okay…" He stepped away from the door, allowing her to knock.

"Tomoko? It's just me. I'm going to come in, okay?" She reached for the doorknob, only to feel a small yet harmless jolt.

"Akane-sama?" Shichi noticed the girl freezing from the sudden jolt and reached out to her, only to have her hold up her hand.

"It's nothing." She turned the doorknob before opening the door a little, only to find the lights off except for her sister's lamp. She opened it wider to get in, only to step on a few crumpled up pieces of paper. She looked down to find dark scratches on them. A few of them made words while others were of shadow-like monsters reminiscent of the Teshitas they fight.

She looked back at the house robot. "Stay here. If you hear something that might go wrong, get Hiro." When she saw him nod, she stepped into the room, carefully closing the door behind her. She looked over towards the bed to find her sister curled up in the corner, her head buried in her arms and knees as if to shield herself. The sight made the red warrior's heart ache, recalling how often she has stepped into this scenery for the last few years to see how much her little sister suffered from the trauma.

Her gaze fell towards the open sketchbook at the foot of Tomoko's bed. She slowly made her way towards it, picking it up before going through what her sister drew. She gently flipped through the pages of monsters and glowing eyes. She stopped when she saw a drawing of herself on the ground bleeding, a girl standing over her with a scythe in hand. Her face was scribbled over with dark lines to mask her identity, one that Tomoko wasn't sure of if it wasn't drawn in detail.

She quickly closed the book, unable to bear seeing that memory resurface. She tightly hugged it against her chest, knowing a lot of pain went into it.

 _"It's better to forget…"_

"It's better to forget…" she softly said to herself. She stepped over more crumpled up paper before opening up the bottom drawer of the desk, burying the book towards the bottom so it wouldn't be seen. She closed the drawer and stood up to face her sister, a hint of determination in her eyes.

She took a seat on the bed, gently dipping it so it wouldn't disturb the girl. She made sure to be careful when she scooted over, unsure how close she can be before her sister breaks down. She carefully reached her hand out, resting it on her sister's head as she hummed a soft lullaby to keep her calm from the contact.

Tomoko started to relax as she heard her sister hum. She shakily turned her head towards the MoriRed who managed to softly smile for her. "Onee…chan…?" Her voice was barely above a whisper but just the idea of her talking made the college student scoot closer.

"Hey, lil sis. Sorry for being so late."

Tears started to fall before she wrapped her arms around her older sister, softly sobbing into her chest. "I… I did something bad… I… I don't know what happened…" she murmured between sobs.

"Shh… It's okay… I'm right here…" Akane cooed to comfort her sister. "I'm right here…"

The two stayed in that position, unwilling to move as Tomoko continued to cry in her sister's arms. Once she was able to calm down, they were now laying down on the bed, holding onto each other for comfort.

"You okay?"

Tomoko shook her head. "I… I did that to you, Onee-chan… I… I don't know how, but I know it was me… I made myself forget so everything would be okay but… but it's not… I… I saw you hurt and I was over you…"

"Hey. Look at me." Akane gently cupped her sister's face so she could look at the MoriRed. "You didn't do anything. You're too nice to do that."

"But-"

"But nothing. You wouldn't hurt a fly, Tomoko. The one who hurt me is too different to be you. Okay?"

"But I-"

"Tomoko. I don't want to hear another 'but' from you. You shouldn't blame yourself for something you're too nice to do. Would I hurt you?"

"No…"

"Would Kiku hurt us?"

"No… Not like that…"

Akane had to hold back a laugh at that answer, knowing their sister can often give them playful smacks or punches without really holding back. "Would you hurt us?"

Tomoko hesitated at this, seeing how her sister wants a positive answer. This didn't go unnoticed by the MoriRed. "The answer is 'no', Tomoko. Do you know why?"

"Because I'm too nice…?"

"Yes, but also because we're family. Family wouldn't hurt each other like that. Besides. If you really did hurt me, I wouldn't always be here for you whenever you needed help. We wouldn't be doting on you if you hurt us back then."

Tomoko was about to say something but stopped herself, knowing her sister would cut her off. She looked down, her hands balled up into fists and tugging on Akane's sleeves. "…Are you sure you don't hate me…?"

"Why should we?"

"Because… I'm broken… I have these powers I can't control… I have nightmares every now and then because of what happened… I can't look at most people in the eye because of it… Everyone hates us because we have these powers…"

"We don't hate you, Tomoko. We never did. Sure, we say mean things, sometimes, but we know how sensitive you are. We can't really lose each other after losing our parents." She felt the small girl's grip tightening.

"I… I overheard you talking to Kiku-chan… About using yourselves as bait to protect me."

Akane looked at her sister, worried of how much she's heard. She took in a deep breath to recompose herself. "We just want to protect you, Tomoko."

"When can you tell me the truth about me…? About my powers and why you'll use yourselves as bait to keep the enemy away…?"

Akane hesitated, trying to think of the proper date to tell. She tried to think of today's date before figuring out the prediction she's always been told. "Soon… It should be soon…"

Tomoko curled up closer to her sister. "I'm scared…"

"I know… But just know we're here for you."

"Okay…"

Akane pulled her sister close, wrapping her arms around the girl's small frame to make her feel protected. "We'll be okay. I promise."

* * *

Kiku looked at her Cuff to read the message she got from her sister.

 _Tomoko's awake, but will need some time to heal. Think you can buy groceries for dinner today?_

She sighed, knowing the usual routine. She pulled up a keyboard before typing.

 _Okay. But she needs something in her stomach so we're making my famous Hamburger steak. No questions._

 _Okay, okay. I already sent money to your phone, but don't splurge, okay? Just the necessities._

She rolled her eyes at the reminder before making her way to the supermarket, shooting her sister a remark to confirm reading the message. She entered the market and grabbed a basket before looking around for the ingredients. She looked at her Cuff.

"Shichi. Do we have any onions or garlic at home?" she asked.

 _"We have some onions but they'll be spoiled in a few days. Do you want me to check anything else?"_

"That's fine. Thanks." She hung up before looking through the rest of the vegetables, picking a few that would work on the side. She then made her way to the meat section, taking in the varieties and determining which ones looked best for dinner. She reached for a packet, only to have another hand grab it at the same time.

She pulled away and looked to find a young man around Akane's age with long spiky brown hair combed up as if the wind has been hitting his face the whole day. He had a casual outfit on consisting of a grey t-shirt under a dark orange hoodie and loose jeans. He seemed to be just as surprised to see the youngest of the Tanaka sisters.

"Ah. Kiku, right? You're a lot taller than I remember seeing you," he said.

"Just a growth spurt. It was about last year, but we haven't seen each other since… you know…" Her voice started to falter at the mention of the incident.

The young man nervously reached for the back of his neck, scratching it. "Y-yeah… Your sister still refuses to talk to me… Sorry about that. Just know I'm going to make it up to her one day."

"Good luck with that. Our schedules have been pretty packed lately. Well. Not that it would make too much of a difference." She looked back at the packets, trying to find a new one to buy. "How's Shota? I texted him and he said he has the cold."

"He's doing okay. Should be able to get back to school tomorrow. But thanks for still being able to watch over my little brother, Kiku."

"Well he hasn't really done anything that would lead to a grudge. Should probably take some advice from your little brother, Ryouta." She grabbed a packet before taking her leave.

Ryouta looked at her leave before sighing. "Guess even she has that grudge against me…"

* * *

Akane wrapped the lunchboxes as her sisters ate breakfast. She placed them on the table. "Since there were leftovers yesterday, lunch will be hamburgers."

Kiku pouted. "Please don't tell me that you mixed peppers in them like last time…"

"Nope. But they're on the side and I expect you to eat it all."

The MoriYellow grimaced at the order, showing distaste for the vegetable. "That's torture on every level…"

"You'll get used to the taste."

The two heard dishes being placed into the sink and looked up to find Tomoko grabbing her schoolbag and lunch. "I'm going to go to practice…" she said quietly.

"Do you want me to come with?" Kiku asked, knowing they take the same route.

Tomoko shook her head. "Kyo-chan said she'll meet me near the station. I should be fine, Kiku-chan."

"If you say so."

"Call us if you need anything, okay?" Akane said, receiving a small nod.

"Okay." Tomoko took her leave, closing the door behind her.

Kiku rested her chin on her palm before looking at her sister. "You think she'll be okay?"

Akane pursed her lips. "I'm not sure. But we should at least let her breathe. She's pretty terrified of everything right now."

Kiku tightly clenched her fists, unwilling to believe her sister's behavior. "Why is it that she always looks down on herself...? It's not right."

"It can't be helped, Kiku. She's still healing. You know how scared she is of everything. It makes her believe things she doesn't want to believe."

"Even then, it feels like we can't do anything to help..."

"I know... but we'll figure it out." She placed the wrapped lunch in front of her sister. "Get to school safe, okay?"

"Yeah. Sure." Kiku put her dishes into the sink before grabbing her bag. She was about to leave but stopped at the kitchen doorway. She sighed before going to her sister and pulling her into a hug. "I'm here so you don't shoulder everything, Nee-chan," she said quietly, catching the MoriRed by surprise. She pulled away before taking her leave, leaving Akane in the house.

She let out a small sigh and her lips softly quirked into a smile. "That girl…" She went to the sink to wash the dishes until her Cuff rang. "Hm?"

* * *

"Mou. You really got us worried yesterday, Tomoko," Kyoko whined as the two walked to school, Satoshi following close behind. "You should have called us yesterday if you needed help."

"S-sorry... It was just unavoidable... It brought back a lot of bad memories... I didn't want to drag you into it."

"You're not, and you shouldn't be worried about if we'll get hurt. We're your friends. Right, Takahashi-kun?"

The boy offered a small smile to the girl. "Yeah. Just let us know if you have any problems. I'm always here to help, Tomoko."

"But what if you get hurt? Last ti-"

"We promised to protect you. You might be a superhero, but even then, you need people helping you. Well. We could have dodged that thing, but we weren't fast enough." She firmly rested a hand on her friend's head. "Don't blame yourself for that again, okay?"

"O-okay..." The three continued walking until Tomoko's eyes turned violet, making her stop.

Satoshi walked to her side, seeing how she suddenly froze. "You okay?"

Tomoko didn't answer and instead grabbed his arm and pushed him away with Kyoko. "Tomoko?!"

Her eyes glowed blue and she summoned her sword, blocking the claws of the Ooteshita attacking them. She pressed her forearm against the flat side of the blade, keeping the claws back. She pushed the monster off and looked at her friends. "Run! Hurry!"

"But-!"

They heard growls and turned to find themselves surrounded. Satoshi quickly took hold of Kyoko to shield her as they went to Tomoko's side.

The small girl looked at the monsters, her eyes letting out a pulsing orange glow. _"There's too many of them..."_ She looked back at her friends. _"I can't fight if they're this close..."_

Her eyes glowed brown and green, making her look up to find two figures in the air, one of them holding a spear. "Eh?"

"Chibi! Stay back!" the figure shouted before readying his spear. "Sho!"

" _Green Bind!_ " The second figure took hold of the end of his spear before they dug it into the ground. Large vines emerged from the concrete, wrapping around the Teshitas. "Nii-san!"

The blade of the spear glowed as the taller figure smirked behind his helmet. " _Ground Breaker!_ " He swung his weapon in a swift and fluent motion, destroying the Ooteshitas. He rested his weapon on his shoulder while his other hand was on his hip. "That should do it. Guess that plan we worked on last night worked, Sho."

Tomoko looked at the two in shock, recognizing the uniform. The two seemed to have been matching as their helmets had matching snouts resembling bears except the taller one's were open like Akane's. Small slits were at the top of their helmets to form bear ears folded back flush against the headgear. The taller of the two had his visor in the shape of an arrowhead pointing down while his comrade had it pointing up, creating different expressions.

Their suits were similar to the girls' except they lacked the skirts, leaving only the pants with the same design of the inside being a lighter shade than the outer halves. The older had a mix of two shades of orange and the younger had two shades of green. Both have chest plates in the shape of the profile of bears but the younger of the two had a rounder chest plate to show a bear cub and the hears were on his right shoulder instead of his left. Clasped to both sides of his belt were a pair of tonfas.

The one in orange looked at the small girl and held his hand up in a wave. "Yo, Chibi. You okay?"

Tomoko's eyes turned violet when she recognized his voice. She stepped back as her hand grabbed Kyoko's, making the taller girl hold onto her for support. "Tomoko?" She noticed the smaller girl's breathing became heavy and quickly wrapped her arms around the MoriBlue. "Shh... It's okay. I'm right here."

"Tomoko!" Akane and Kiku jumped off their hoverboards and stopped when they saw the two heroes. Akane took a step forward. "Show yourselves," she ordered, her eyes turning red behind her glasses.

The one in orange looked at her before scratching the back of his neck. "This is going to be awkward..." he muttered. Bright light surrounded the two of them before letting their transformations disappear, revealing Ryouta and a young boy around Kiku's age.

Unlike his brother, his hair was well kept in a short style and his face was a little round for someone going through puberty. He gave a nervous wave as he hid his left hand behind his back. "H-hey, Kiku-chan..." he greeted with a sheepish laugh.

The two sisters looked at the two in shock, surprised to see them taking the mantle of their new comrades. "Ryouta..." "Shota..."

* * *

 ** _A/N: So what do you think? I have a thing for cliffhangers for some odd reason. I hate them when it comes to watching shows but I do understand there's a time limit and the need for suspense so HAH! Next chapter will focus primarily on Akane and Ryouta as well as a little bit more of the Tomoko story._**

 ** _To GoseiKnight: Understandable when it comes to the view and review rates. I guess my biggest concern at the moment is the exponential decrease in viewers per chapter... But I am definitely glad that I have some dedicated readers and that you like how the story is going so far._**

 ** _I know it's really early to be including new members but remember that I'm trying to not include filler episodes and focus primarily on the main storyline. I may deviate one in a while with subarcs but I also make sure it coincides with the actual story (Chapter 6 for example). But here is some information on the two new characters._**

 ** _Ryouta and Shota are the Ueno Brothers. I originally wanted their last names to be "Kobayashi" (small forest) but that seemed a bit too on the nose. I decided that "Ueno" would be a good fit as it means "upper field" or "upper wilderness". Bears are big compared to wolves and they live in the wilderness so that's all I have to say. As for the color scheme, I decided to make the colors to be part of the complimentary color group (orange, green and purple). Although their colors aren't the actual compliments of the girls they're the same age as, I figured I could use the ones that are close in color, element and personality. And no, I did not copy SasoriOrange for an orange ranger with a spear. When I first thought of Ryouta 7 years ago, he had a spear so I am so not copying._**

 ** _And that's about it. I will be having a 6th Ranger joining the team soon so look forward to that._**

 ** _Thank you and until then, じゃね～！_**


	11. Chapter 11

**_Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Super Sentai. I only own my original characters and story._**

* * *

In just three seconds, Ryouta found himself on the ground, his cheek red from the sudden punch. The others just looked on in shock as Akane stood over him. He looked up at the MoriRed, a sheepish smile on his face. "I guess that's a 'no'..." he said, only to coward when she leaned forward with a glare.

"This better be some sick joke, Ryouta," she scowled," I don't want you anywhere near me or my sisters." She stormed off.

Shota was about to chase after her but stopped when he saw Kiku looking at him, her eyes yellow behind her glasses. He nervously pursed his lip before facing her. "K-Ki-"

"I don't want to hear it!" the MoriYellow snapped, cutting him off. He looked at her in surprise, seeing how it's the first time she ever raised her voice towards him.

She made her way to the others and took hold of Tomoko. "I'm taking her home." She cradled her sister before taking her leave. "Tell the teacher she can't make it."

Satoshi and Kyoko looked after the girl in worry, seeing how they're all shaken by the revelation. They looked over towards the two brothers, unsure what to say to them. Kyoko took hold of Satoshi's arm. "Come on. We can't be late." She led him to the school, leaving the two alone.

Ryouta fell back onto the ground. "We screwed up."

Shota knelt down, his expression solemn. "I didn't think Kiku-chan would be mad at me for that... We won't be able to help them at this rate..."

"We'll figure something out, Sho. We promised each other, didn't we?" He got back to his feet.

"Are you going to man up and talk to Akane-san?"

At this, the older brother slunk back down. "Maybe not a great idea when she's like this..."

* * *

Hiro extinguished the fire in the Home Simulation Room before a punching bag was launched across the room by a swift kick. He sighed. "Akane. It's best to calm down," he chided. "Your wolf is coming out."

Akane took in a few deep breaths as flames surrounded her arms. "Out of all people... It has to be that idiot..." she muttered angrily.

"You do know that the company doesn't have any control of it. Maybe there's a reason those two were chosen to take the roles of Orange and Green."

"Well the Spirits have some explaining to do if they're letting him fight. What were they thinking?!" She angrily punched another bag just as the robot set down the first one.

"It's best to give him the benefit of the doubt, Akane. Being angry at him forever isn't healthy."

"Well how the hell can I not be angry? He was there, Hiro. He was there and did nothing to help. You really think I can forgive him for something like that?"

"Even then, it's best to find the reason why he was chosen. You have to have trust in your teammates if you want the family to be kept safe."

"Having him here is not safe, Hiro. You know how Tomoko is when things trigger her. Having him around will have her retreat again and we can't have that."

"You need closure."

"As if he'll give it to us." Akane stormed out of the room.

Hiro sighed as he rested his hand on his head. "Guess it will take a lot for those two to get through to her."

* * *

Dorgon looked at the book, now seeing the photographs of the Ueno brothers on the once blank page. "So two more have awakened. I'm surprised they've shown themselves after this long. A shame I didn't get to go through with the experiment."

"A waste of my Ooteshitas if you ask me," Harpy hissed.

Dorgon waved off the snap before looking into the flames. "But I am indeed curious. Their appearance has formed some tension in the team. Perhaps we should observe and see if we can strike."

Harpy folded her arms, peering into the flames. "You're always stalling, Dorgon. Wouldn't it be best to strike now?"

"Not when their abilities as warriors are unknown. We have to see how much of a threat those two are before we take any action. Let's just hope they're rookies so we can find the right opening."

The blue elite scoffed with a roll of her eyes, showing displeasure of waiting. "I really don't understand your interest in them, Dorgon. You never acted like this in previous battles against that family." She walked off towards her quarters. "Just call me if you want to use my Ooteshitas for your dumb experiment. I need to hone my skills in case the Master asks for my presence in the battlefield."

Dorgon gave a small nod, not taking his eyes off the projections.

* * *

Kiku bit into a strawberry and cream sandwich as she put on her boots, seeing how she can't miss the second half of school. She looked back towards the stairs, her eyes showing concern. She took the sandwich out of her mouth. "Ji-nee! I'm heading off to school!" she called," Make sure to get to work if you have a shift today!" She went through the front door, taking another bite of her sandwich but stopped mid-chew when she saw Shota waiting at the gate.

The boy looked up from his Cuff when he heard the door open. He held his hand up for a small wave. "Y-yo, Kiku-chan," he greeted albeit nervously.

Kiku closed the door before making her way down the steps and towards her friend. She glanced back towards the house before nodding her head in the direction of the school. Before the boy could even register what she motioned towards, she turned on her heel and walked off. He quickly adjusted his backpack and followed after her, staying a few steps behind to give her some space.

"I-I wanted to say sorry about this morning, Kiku-chan," he said," I wanted to tell you earlier but Jou said to wait until an emergency." He realized she wasn't going to respond, making him continue. "I-I know you're upset. Jou told me since he's still related to your partner. I was scared to fight, but I wanted to do it to protect you. I-I figured that if I had powers like you, I'd be able to protect you since you got hurt a few times. N-Nii-san-" He was cut off when the girl abruptly stopped, making him bump into her shoulder. "K-Kiku-chan?"

"You're such an idiot…"

"Eh?" He froze when she grabbed his shirt collar, her glasses falling off as she glared at him. He froze when he saw glowing yellow irises and sparks surrounding her pupils.

"I don't need anyone protecting me, Shota. Especially you. Do you even know what you're getting yourself into?"

"I-I just wanted-"

"No, Shota. You were given a choice. You could have chosen the safer one rather than risking your damn life for someone who's already gone through training and know what it's like to be put into dangerous situations."

"But I-"

She held up her hand, almost slapping him. "Not another word," she snapped before storming off.

Shota looked at her retreating form, his gaze solemn at her being upset at him. A small robot in the shape of a bear cub climbed onto his shoulder, letting out small chirps. "I know, Jou... But what can I even do to make it up to her...?"

* * *

Hotaru gently combed her fingers through Akane's hair as they were in the idol's bedroom. The red warrior showed up abruptly and simply dragged her girlfriend to her room, only to seek comfort when they reached the bed. Hotaru decided not to question it, seeing how something must have set the red-clad girl off for her to not say anything the whole time.

"You okay, wolfie?" she asked, twirling some of Akane's hair around her fingers. She heard nothing but mumbles against her chest, making her sigh. "Don't want to go to class today?" Akane shook her head, not wanting to look up. "Just let me know if you need anything." She found the hug tightening and returned the gesture.

She heard her phone ring and reached out to her desk to grab it, making sure to not disturb her girlfriend. She looked at the Caller ID, furrowing her eyebrows at the name. She answered. "Hello?"

* * *

Ryouta tensed when he heard the idol's voice as he sat at the rim of the Square's fountain. "Y-yo, Ooshiro. Sorry for calling so suddenly."

 _"You should be apologizing since you haven't called in four years. But do you need something?"_

He pursed his lips at her tone, seeing how she still shows anger towards him. Seeing how one of the more kindhearted that he knows is making some distance, he had no choice but to be blunt. "I want to talk to Akane. She hasn't been answering my calls and I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to see my face right now."

* * *

Hotaru's gaze fell towards her girlfriend, now understanding the problem. She sighed. "She's busy right now. You can call her later."

 _"I... I see... Thanks anyway, Ooshiro."_

"Sure. And Ryo-kun?"

 _"Yeah?"_

"Just grow some balls rather than calling me next time." She cut off the call before letting out a deep sigh. She looked down at her wolf, gently combing her fingers through Akane's hair to comfort her more as she hummed. "Guess you're still hurt from it, wolfie..."

* * *

Ryouta looked at his phone before scratching the back of his neck. "Even Ooshiro telling me that..." he muttered to himself. He scrolled through his contacts, trying to see if anyone would be able to help him get through to the girls.

* * *

"S-sorry for being stuck at home again..." Tomoko murmured as she helped Shichi clean the house.

The robot looked away from the windowsill he was dusting before the screen on his face offered a reassuring smile. "It's fine, Tomoko-sama. You have your reasons. I was given direct orders that your wellbeing is important since you're all still healing. It's my job to help whenever I can." He folded up the duster before placing it into his chest compartment. He took a seat on the couch before patting the seat next to him, beckoning the girl to sit.

Tomoko hesitantly took a seat next to the robot, seeing how he's worried enough to sit her down for a talk.

"Are you still shocked from this morning?" he asked, receiving a small nod. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Tomoko pursed her lips, her hands fiddling with the shorts she changed into for cleaning. "Is Onee-chan okay...?" she asked quietly.

"Hm? Akane-sama?" He leaned back, trying to figure out what to tell the small girl when it came to the eldest's anger. "Hmm... She was a little pissed off this morning and left after using the simulators downstairs. She hasn't returned since, but the GPS on your Cuffs locate her with Hotaru-san's bracelet." He noticed the worry on the girl's face. "You shouldn't worry right now, Tomoko-sama. You know your sister always goes to her whenever she needs someone to talk to."

"Is she still blaming Ryouta-san...?"

The small robot was caught off guard by the question. He tilted his head. "Nn... I'm not sure what you mean by that..."

"Mama didn't tell you?"

"I don't think so. I know Akane-sama isn't on good terms with him, but I'm not sure about her blaming him for anything."

"I see..."

The doorbell rang, prompting Shichi to get off the couch. "I'll be right back." He went to go answer the door, only to find Satoshi. "Ah. Takahashi-san."

The boy smiled when he saw the robot. "It's been a while, Shichi-san." He reached into his schoolbag to fetch out a folder. "I came over to drop off Tomoko's homework." He held it out for the robot to take.

"Ah. Thank you. Sorry for the trouble, Takahashi-san. You're always over bringing her homework."

"It's fine. Kyoko and Chi-chan wanted to do it but they were called into rehearsals. Ah. How is Tomoko feeling? Kyoko said she looked terrified after that monster attack. I hope she's not fighting since she was close to having a fit."

Shichi shook his head. "There haven't been any issues so far. But she's starting to feel better. Thank you for always taking care of her, Takahashi-san. We really appreciate having someone to watch over her during school. But we apologize for any inconvenience she may cause. You know how she is."

Satoshi's smile turned solemn. "Yeah. But just let her know I want to do this for her. It's a gentlemen's job to keep his lady safe."

Shichi smiled at the boy's attitude and gave a nod. "Of course." He soon spotted something over the boy's shoulder and stopped. "Ah."

Satoshi turned to find Ryouta leaning against the fence as if to wait. "You're the one from this morning."

Ryouta looked at him, recognizing the boy as well. "So you're one of Chibi's friends." He held out his hand. "We haven't properly introduced ourselves. Name's Ryouta Ueno. Unofficial member of the team."

Satoshi looked at his hand, taking a few moments to think before accepting it, making sure his grip was firm. "Satoshi Takahashi. One of the Top 5 in the Kendo team."

The orange warrior took note of how protective he is of the girls and pulled away. "No need to have your guard up like that. I'm not here to hurt anyone. I want to talk to Chibi."

"I'd appreciate it if you call her by her name."

Ryouta sighed. "Okay. I want to talk to Tomo-chan. I figured that if you're here to drop off homework, she should still be home."

"Why should we let you talk to her? She almost had a panic attack when she saw you."

"I have my reasons. But I need permission from Shichi, not her classmate."

Shichi quickly stepped in between the two, seeing how Satoshi is getting angry at the older boy. "There's no need to start a fight, you two. Let's be civil about this."

"Shichi?" Tomoko stepped out to the front door to check on the robot, only to find Satoshi and Ryouta with him. "Eh?"

"T-Tomoko."

Ryouta took a step back before holding out his hand. "Y-yo, Chibi. You feeling better?"

Tomoko tightly gripped the door frame as she looked at the boy, her eyes a mix of orange and green as she didn't have her glasses on when she's home. "Y-yeah..." She looked over towards Satoshi. "Th-thank you for dropping off my homework... I should be back tomorrow."

Satoshi looked at her, seeing how she implied for him to leave. He glanced back over to Ryouta who was keeping his distance before looking back at his friend, giving a small nod. "Tell me if you need anything, okay?" He gently petted her head before taking his leave, shooting Ryouta a warning glare on his way to the gate.

Once he was out of earshot, Tomoko looked at Ryouta. "Are you here to see Onee-chan...?"

Ryouta shook his head. "It's best to give her some space. She's been ignoring me all day so I guess I should let her breathe before talking to her again."

"I see..."

"Is it okay if we can talk, Chibi? It's okay if you don't want to. Just hear me out."

Shichi quickly stepped in. "W-wait a minute. Tomoko-sama is in no shape to-"

"It's fine, Shichi," Tomoko said, making the robot look at her.

"A-are you sure?"

"Hiro is downstairs cleaning so he'll come up if anything happens."

The small robot hesitated, unsure if it's right to leave her with the college student. He looked at his charge. "If you say so... But I'm staying with you. I'm rusty with combat but I simply cannot leave you alone. Understood?"

Tomoko gave a small nod, knowing the robot can be overprotective at times.

* * *

Kiku toggled with the joystick as she sat in the arcade, trying to blow off some steam. She pressed a few buttons for a combo, taking away the last of her opponent's health points. She sighed as a crowd of people looked on in amazement. "Are they even trying...?" she muttered to herself.

The player selection screen popped up, making her look at the screen to find a new opponent. She selected her usual character and watched her opponent scroll through the options. Once one was chosen, they were taken to the duel scene, the announcer's voice blasting through the speakers to start the fight.

She watched her opponent, seeing how the character keeps moving back and forth as if to wait, punching and kicking the air every so often. "A rookie...?" She moved forward, jumping over her opponent before landing a kick.

"W-wait! I still need to get all of the controls!"

She furrowed her eyebrows at the voice. She landed another punch. "Shota. You shouldn't be playing without practicing as a single player," she chided through the machines. She grabbed Shota's character before throwing him.

"E-eh?! That's possible?!"

She sighed after landing the final strike. She stood up before going to the other side of the machine. "You really think an enemy would wait for you?" she questioned," Even I didn't have that handicap and almost died."

The MoriGreen stood up. "E-even so, I still want to fight! Nii-san and I have been training!"

Kiku eyed her friend, seeing how he's still hesitant when confronting her about the situation. She went back to her seat. "If you can win at least one round, I'll teach you."

Shota looked her like this. "R-really?!"

 _FINISH HIM._

He heard the pained cry of his character, losing another round. "W-wait! I wasn't-"

"Monsters don't wait for you to be ready," Kiku said flatly before starting the final round.

"W-wait!" He quickly sat down before grabbing the joystick to dodge.

* * *

Shota slouched against the machine after seeing the large " _YOU LOSE_ " sign on his screen. "That was too brutal..."

Kiku leaned against the side of the machine, offering her spot to another player. "That is real life, Shota." She grabbed the back of his shirt collar before dragging him off the bench. She went over to one of the candy crane games and tapped her phone against the reader, starting the game.

Shota watched as the MoriYellow started at the machine, taking in the movements of the conveyor belt on the bottom. She pressed the buttons to grab and release the candy, only for a small pile to fall into the winning basket. She took put the treats into her school bag before tossing a box towards her friend. Shota stumbled to catch the box and followed the girl to some more crane games.

"I never knew you were good at arcade games, Kiku-chan," he said.

"I only come here once in a while. Tou-chan taught me how to play when we moved here and I picked up on it." She snagged a box of Pocky, allowing the crane to take it to the door. "I come here from time to time when I need to cool off. Sometimes I go to the Lab but I have to be with Nee-chan to go in." She opened the box and bit into a piece, holding out the box. "Want one?"

Shota looked between his friend and the box before accepting a piece. "Th-thanks..."

* * *

Ryouta cringed when he took a sip of his coffee. He quickly placed a sugar cube to mix in before tasting it again. "I don't know how my parents can drink this stuff..."

"You'll get used to the taste. I had it saved for Akane-sama in case she had to do some research, but I can't really put it to waste," Shichi said with his hands on his hips.

"I suppose not. But that's surprising. Akane drinking coffee."

"Only when she has to work over what she usually does. She's starting to drink more after they started fighting. She's too busy to make small talk."

"Ah..." Ryouta gave a small nod in understanding before looking at Tomoko who was quietly sipping her tea. "Chi-" He stopped himself before regaining his composure. "Tomoko. I wanted to talk to you about what happened. I know it's sensitive territory for you guys, but just know I'll be here for you three this time. Having these powers can let us protect you." He reached into the pocket of his hoodie to take out a robotic bear. "Kuu told me everything and I hated myself for leaving you girls alone. Leaving Akane alone when she needed me."

Tomoko looked at him, studying his features for any lies or uncertainty. Her gaze went towards his eyes and noticed an orange tint in them. She set down her drink before standing up, facing the college student. "You should be telling that to Onee-chan four years ago. Why you weren't by her side. Why you had to make Hotaru-san shoulder all of Onee-chan's pain. Why you didn't even apologize to us or even talk to us after Mama and Papa died!" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she continued to raise her voice. Shichi took notice and quickly rushed to her side, keeping her steady in case she was to collapse.

"T-Tomoko-sama. You shouldn't push yourself," the robot said worriedly.

"Onee-chan was suffering! She's always making sure everything is okay, but we all know she never takes care of herself for our sake! She needed someone to go to and you left her!"

Ryouta looked at her, surprised to see her raise her voice towards anyone. His fists clenched before he stood up and faced the girl. "I know that!"

"Then why?!"

"Because I was too weak!"

Tomoko stopped and looked up at him, unsure if she heard his words correctly.

"You really think I wouldn't beat myself up for what happened? What was I even supposed to do in that situation? Akane asked me to be her friend and I blew it because I didn't know how to help her when you were taken. What should I have said to her? What could I have done after we ended everything? How could I have even faced her after you broke down the last time you saw me after that incident?!

"Kuu told me everything. About you, about your whole family having powers and bring dragged into this war. He told me that I can't talk to you or Akane or show myself unless I really had to and saving you when you were surrounded was the only way for me to talk to you. I want to make things right and the only way to do that was to take the Cuff and fight for you girls. I know I can't be forgiven, but I'm doing it anyway to prove myself!"

"You should have said so earlier, idiot," a voice snapped.

The three looked at the front door to find Akane with her arms folded, her eyes glowing red with flames at her pupils. "A-Akane." Ryouta quickly stepped away from Tomoko, seeing the anger in the MoriRed's eyes. "I-I can't expl-"

"Don't bother. You said enough." She looked over towards her younger sister to find tears staining her cheeks. "Tomoko. Go to your room. Takahashi must've dropped off your homework so it's best to catch up," she said firmly.

Seeing how it was more of an order than a suggestion, Shichi quickly led Tomoko upstairs to her room. "I-I'll be down to get dinner ready," he said before they disappeared up the stairs.

Ryouta nervously pursed his lips before looking at the MoriRed. "Akane-"

"I don't blame you for not being there, Ryouta," she said, catching him off guard.

"What?"

"We needed you. Otou-san wasn't enough to make us feel protected. I only blamed you because you didn't run after her. If you did, she wouldn't have been taken."

"I-I know and I'm sorry. I just... I just thought I didn't have the right to... Since you ended everything by then."

Akane tightly hugged her arms. "I didn't want to lead you on. It wouldn't be fair to you if we stayed together while I had feelings for someone else, Ryouta. It just felt wrong so we had to end it so there wouldn't be too much tension. I'd prefer we forget it ever happened, but I guess that won't happen."

Ryouta pursed his lips and gave a nod. "I really meant it when I said I want to make it up to you, Akane."

"How is this any different than back then? Do you think it's easier now because you have powers you can't control?"

"I'm trying, Akane. I'm really trying this time. She was surrounded and didn't want to get her friends hurt. Sho and I saw it and had to step in. Both of us know that you can't lose her again so we had to. You have to believe me, Akane."

"You do know this will be hard for you and your brother, Ryouta. Fighting Nightshift is nothing like playing those videogames. Kiku thought the same thing at first and almost got herself and Tomoko killed. Once they learned the reality of this war, they trained to make sure they don't put themselves in that kind of situation again by underestimating the enemy."

"I know that. Why else have we been fighting thieves? We wanted to train ourselves and making sure that we could at least learn how to keep someone safe."

"That's not enough, Ryouta! This is a war we're talking about! The enemy has been after our family for generations and killed our parents in the middle of the night so the three of us would be defenseless against their attacks. The only reason why they keep persisting is because they're after our powers. Powers that no other humans have and can change the fate of humanity in an instant. They're always trying to find ways to kill us, finding ways to turn the tables on us. They're going to aim for Tomoko sooner or later and we can't risk losing her to them. We almost lost her four years ago, Ryouta. Do you know how terrified we were when we found out she was somewhere being beaten and tortured for something she had no idea she possessed? Hell, I almost killed my best friend because I couldn't control my anger and fear of losing her. You don't understand how serious these battles are nor will you."

"Then trust me with that kind of information. Why they're after your sister. Why they keep trying to kill your family. I don't want to be the guy who chose not be there for those who needed me. I want to show you guys that I changed and will always be here for you. When Kuu told me you were fighting those monsters out there, I knew there was a reason why Sho and I were called. You girls need help and we want to give it to you. That's why I want you to trust me this time and let me fight with you."

"How do I know you're not going to just run away this time?"

"I'll prove it to you. Prove that the two of us are worthy enough of protecting you girls."

"We don't need protection, Ryouta," she snapped," You're talking to people who have been training their whole lives."

"Even so, we want to prove that we can keep up and follow you girls by your side. We might not have as much experience as you, but we're willing to put in the work."

"You're too persistent."

"But I have to if I want to prove my point."

The front door opened as Kiku walked in, Shota behind her. She stopped when she saw her sister and Ryouta in the living room. Shota didn't seem to react in time and bumped into her. "S-sorry!"

"Slow reaction time. Minus ten points," Kiku chided flatly, only to receive another apology. "Minus one for apologizing excessively." Shota quickly shut his mouth before he could apologize again. Kiku sighed before looking at Akane. "Were we interrupting something, Nee-chan?"

Akane looked between her sister and Ryouta before she shook her head. "No. You're not. Ryouta was just about to show himself out."

Taking the cue, Ryouta quickly went to the front door. "Sorry for bothering you girls. Um... We'll call." He brushed past Kiku and took hold of Shota's arm. "Come on, Sho. Guess we should go through that training again."

"E-eh? S-sure..." Shota gave an apologetic grin to Kiku before taking his leave.

Ryouta stopped before he could close the door, not facing the girls. "Akane. That person you liked that time... Does she feel the same?"

Akane stopped when she heard the feminine pronoun, seeing how it's the first time someone outside the family has confronted her about it. She took in a deep breath. "Yeah. She confessed when we graduated."

Ryouta slowly nodded. "Good for you." He raised his hand for a wave. "I'll see you later. If you don't mind." He closed the door behind him, leaving the two girls alone.

Kiku looked at her older sister. "Guess you guys had that talk?" she asked, receiving a small nod. "Do you trust him?"

The red warrior softly shrugged. "I just don't know..." She stepped back when her sister held her in a hug.

"Will we...?"

"That's what I want to know..."

* * *

Ryouta leaned against the fence. "A girl, huh...?" he murmured," That would explain a lot..."

Shota grew worried as he looked at his brother. "Nii-san..."

The MoriOrange straightened himself before walking off. "Come on, Sho. We have some training to do."

"O-okay..." Shota followed his brother but stayed a few steps back, looking back at the house. "Kiku-chan... I wonder if she'll be okay with this soon..."

* * *

 _ **A/N: So that was Chapter 11. Took a while since I had some school projects to work on. I know it's a lot of word vomit but it does go into details about Akane and Ryouta as well as Kiku and Shota. Chapter 12 should give some closure between them and I do hope to find a way to incorporate a good fight.**_

 _ **Translations:**_

 _ **"Nii-san" is a way to refer to an older brother. Shota's way of using the term is similar to Kiku's where he omits the "O" at the beginning, but uses the honorific "-san" as he is more timid and formal with others. (If I ever use "Nii-chan" in future chapters, that might be an error on my part due to using the less formal honorific more often so I apologize in advance.)**_

 _ **Next chapter should be the first ending of this subarc and I might put in more of Ryouta's usual personality in later chapters since the plot asked for a more serious approach in these next few chapters. Also a step forward for Akane being more open and possibly concluding her tension with Ryouta as they were revealed to be a couple prior to the series.**_

 _ **Until next time, じゃね~！**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N: I have returned after almost a month! I apologize for that, but I was dealing with some issues with family and had to get a lot of stuff done for school (just two more tests and I am free!)**_

 _ **This chapter should reach an idea on where the Ueno Brothers are in the story and team as well as how the girls test how to trust them. So without further ado: Enjoy!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Sentai or its characters. I only own my original characters and stories.**_

* * *

"Are you sure you want to trust him, Tomoko?" Satoshi asked as the four sat in study hall. "You almost had a fit when you saw him that morning."

Tomoko nervously twiddled her thumbs, unsure of the idea as well. After her outburst towards the orange warrior the other day, the two seemed to have reached a silent agreement of trying to find ways to get along even if they don't really speak to each other. He's probably keeping quiet because of how Akane is usually around when she doesn't have work or classes, but it was probably better until a real agreement was made.

"I want to trust him... He's already joined the fights with Shota-kun so it's going to be hard for them to turn back now... He seemed sincere when we were talking so I want to trust him... I just don't know if Onee-chan or Kiku-chan will..."

"You're too nice, Tomoko," Kyoko chided, poking her friend on her forehead. "Shouldn't you be a little worried since he's a trigger to some of your harsh memories? Hotaru told us about that fit you had two years ago when you saw him while running errands with your mom."

The MoriBlue looked down at this, knowing they were telling the truth. "Even so... that was different... I was just starting to recover... It just caught me off guard... But I don't want to blame him for what happened... Onee-chan said he should have stopped me, but we knew that even if he did, there could have been another day... That's why I don't want to blame him and trust him with this."

Her friends looked at her, unsure if they should trust her new ally. Chiharu gently took hold of her hand. "You really sure you want to trust him? This is a really big decision to make, Tomo-chi. We just want to make sure you and your sisters don't get hurt. Not again."

Tomoko looked at the taller girl and gave a small nod. "I want to, Chi-chan. You and Kyo-chan wanted to make up for what happened when we were little and I decided to trust you. I... I still blame myself for getting you two hurt, but I know it was the right decision to be your friend again. I want to do the same for Ryouta-san."

Chiharu took in a deep breath before nodding, her lips quirking into a small grin. "Okay. But just let us know if anything happens. Kyoko and I will be right here to beat him up. Hotaru and Satoshi-kun, too. Okay?"

"Chi-chan..." Tomoko couldn't help but to smile. "Okay."

"So. Any plans on getting your sister to accept him as a team member?" Kyoko asked.

Satoshi watched the three try to come up with a plan. Even though he's happy that his friend is feeling better, he can't help but to worry if her decision will be safe for her. His fists tightly clenched, silently vowing to keep the girl safe and happy at all costs.

* * *

Akane scanned the box in her hands before placing it onto the shelf for restocking, making sure the position is correct. Hotaru leaned against the shelves not too far from her, reading the information on a cereal box. "You sure you don't want to talk about it?" the idol asked, lowering her sunglasses to make it easier to read.

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Even when it's your ex-boyfriend?"

There was a soft thud as Akane forcefully placed the box onto the shelf. "I can't even consider him as an ex-boyfriend anymore, Ttaru. You know that. And it was only going on for about four months before I even realized I wasn't even into him or other guys. We've talked about this." She continued to restock the shelves, moving on to the next item when needed.

"I know. But tell me. How do you really feel about him joining your crime-fighting team? Surely it's going to be awkward between you two."

"It already is. It has been for four years. He just shows up trying to be a superhero, consistently calls me while I'm at my wit's end, calls you to get through to me, and then I find him talking to my little sister asking for approval because somehow, getting my little sister's approval will make me approve more easily."

"He's not wrong, actually."

Akane put down the box and looked at her girlfriend, an eyebrow raised. This only made Hotaru giggle.

"I mean. You approved of having Takahashi-kun watch over Tomoko and he's a guy. She's been afraid of them for three years and it took one guy being genuinely nice to her for her to open up a little. If it was any other boy, you would have said 'no' right when they ask if they can be her friend. Once you saw her cling onto him, you looked like you accidentally kicked a puppy and said 'yes' to make her happy."

"Hey. Only because your sister also vouched for him."

"But you still said yes."

Akane let out a small groan. "I hate it when you're right."

Hotaru's smile became smug at this. "But you love me."

"I know and I let myself do it." She took hold of the cart before pushing it to the next aisle. "I'm just surprised you're not jealous."

"I am. But this is Puppy Therapy. I push my feelings to the side to focus on my patient. Besides. This is more than just what happened in the past, this is about fighting monsters. What would you do if I was chosen instead?"

"Beat the damn spirits for making you put yourself in that kind of danger."

Hotaru bent back with a loud laugh at the sudden response, knowing how overprotective the MoriRed is of her. Even more so after the Benten incident. She straightened herself and giggled when she found her girlfriend roll her eyes. "But I am serious about that question, Akane. You don't want me to be put in that kind of danger so you don't want me to fight. Same for how you didn't want your sisters to fight. I felt the same way when these battles started. I'm scared that I'll lose my little wolf to those monsters and I don't want you to run out fighting monsters knowing that there may be a day where you won't come home to me. What if that's how Ryo-kun feels? Maybe he wants to protect the three of you so you don't lose each other. Maybe he just wants to make sure the past doesn't repeat itself and doesn't want you three in danger.

"Kyoko told me what happened. How he and Shota-kun just jumped in to save them. They could have just left it alone, but it was Tomoko that was in danger. They chose to protect her since they knew you and Kiku don't want to lose her. You already lost your parents, I'm sure they don't want you losing more family members."

Akane put down a box before looking at the idol. "Okay. Why are you studying robotics instead of psychology? You know too much."

"Do I know too much about psychology or do I know too much about a certain wolf?" Hotaru teased with a wink.

The MoriRed sighed as she let herself relax and look at her girlfriend, her lips quirked into a smile. "Thanks."

Hotaru smiled in return. "No problem, wolfie."

* * *

"Welcome to Star Café!" Tomoko greeted, only to find Kiku. "Ah! Kiku-chan! Long time no see!"

The MoriYellow grimaced at the greeting, knowing it was protocol if names were to be used for regular customers. "Yo, Chibi-chan," she said before being led to her table. "Can I just have my usual?"

"A strawberry parfait with extra ice cream? That will be out in just a few minutes. Would you like anything to drink while you wait?"

"I should be good for now. Ah. Someone will be joining me soon so I'll call when he comes in."

"That should be fine. I will bring you your treat when it's ready."

"Thanks."

Tomoko made her way to the counter as she placed her order, only for Manabe to look over her shoulder. "Your sister's here again?" he asked as he put together a sandwich. "No club meetings today?"

"She's meeting with a friend from school today, Tenchou-san."

"I see." He plated the sandwich before handing it to her. "This is for Table 6. Her order will be out in a minute."

"Okay~"

Tomoko accepted the plate before going on with her work, greeting customers and taking their orders as she walked through the café. The bell at the door rang as Shota stepped in, making her go to the door to greet him. "Welcome to Star Café!"

* * *

Shota nervously fidgeted in his seat as he sat across from Kiku. "Hai! Your strawberry parfait and your shortcake. Please call me if you would like more."

"Y-yes, ma'am!"

Tomoko couldn't help but to giggle at his nervousness before taking her leave, letting her sister take care of the issue. Kiku noticed the look on her sister's face before taking a bite of her second parfait. "You're too fidgety, Shota," she chided.

"W-well..." His eyes began to wander before he noticed the strawberry on his cake was missing. "Eh?" He looked at Kiku who had the fruit on her spoon, her eyes yellow behind her glasses. "Ah!"

"You really need to work on your reflexes, Shota. Even something as small as this should have been detected easily," she said before eating it. "Even Ji-nee knows when I do it to her but she lets me do it anyway."

"R-really?"

"Yep. Mah. Sometimes we can't detect everything, but someone else can and give backup." She then pointed her spoon at the boy. "But that doesn't mean you can slack off on that."

"O-okay... I understand..." He took a bite out of his shortcake before remembering something. "Ah. Will we be going to the arcade later? I figured playing some games might help with this training."

"Only if you're up to spending your allowance on it. But that training mostly helps with aim since I'm a shooter." She paused before snapping her fingers. "I know a few."

* * *

Dorgon tilted his head as he watched the girls, now seeing Kiku and Shota leaving the café. He shifted between the surveillance before his lips twisted into a smirk. "Guess it's time. Harpy."

The blue elite looked at her comrade, only to roll her eyes when she noticed the look in his. "How many do you need?"

"Not too many. But I want to experiment with them for a little bit when they fight."

"If you say so, _Head General_."

* * *

"I'm sorry, but the labs are limited only to employees," the receptionist said as she typed on her computer at MoriMetals. "I cannot allow anyone access to it unless authorized by the President and CEO. Perhaps you can wait until we have building tours for schools."

Ryouta leaned against the counter, trying to sport a hurt puppy look. "Even if It's an emergency?"

"It really depends on the level and those involved, sir."

Ryouta sighed before pulling up his sleeve to show his Cuff. Unlike the girls, his was designed similarly to a sweatband as the top and bottom had a black trim to match the black band at the center. "Something that has to do with this thing, ma'am," he said.

The receptionist looked at him, unsure if she should trust him or call security when she saw the Cuff.

"He's with me."

The two turned to find Akane and Hotaru, making the receptionist stand up at the MoriRed's presence. "A-Akane-san."

Akane looked at the woman. "It's fine, Akiko-san. I'm going to take him to the Lab to meet Hiro-ojisan."

"I-I understand. And would you like me to have a guest pass for your friend?"

"Sure." She paused before nodding her head towards Ryouta. "Make one for him, too. His data isn't in the system yet."

"U-understood." The receptionist quickly typed on her computer before two key cards were printed. She attached them to lanyards before handing them to the guests. "These are limited for your time in the building. Please return these to the front desk for disposal before you leave."

The three gave their thanks before Akane led them to the elevators. "Th-thanks for helping me there, Akane," Ryouta said," I guess I kind of have a bad rep here."

"No one here knows who you are, Ryouta. Only my uncle." Akane scanned her thumb on the elevator button before the door opened. "Hold out the cards."

The two did as told when the face scanners came out to scan their faces. Once they heard a beep, only one fingerprint scanner appeared rather than three, making Akane scan her finger before the doors opened. "Let's get this over with." She led them towards her father's Lab but stopped at the door. Hotaru took notice of her hesitation and went to her side.

"You want to do this in a different room?" she asked, receiving a shake of the head.

"I'm fine. Just... I just need to breathe a little bit." She opened the door before letting them in.

Ryouta stopped in his tracks when he saw the large cases holding the MoriRanger suits. His gaze fell towards the two in the center in black and white. He lowered his head before giving a bow to the two, seeing how they represent the girls' parents.

Hotaru looked at the boy before pressing a button on the desk, making a chair pop out. "You can make yourself comfortable, Ryo-kun. I'm going to go get something for us to eat." She looked at the MoriRed who was typing on the computer. "They just made a snack room down here, right? Any preferences?"

"Surprise me. Ah. Hiro-ojisan said he brought some cake today. He said we're free to take some. Your favorite tarts, too."

The idol seemed to have brightened at the news. "Then I'll get them. Remind me to repay your uncle for giving us snacks when we visit." She skipped out of the room, Ryouta watching her as he took his seat.

He looked over at Akane who didn't take her eyes off the computer once the door closed. "So... you and Ooshiro?" he asked, seeing how the two looked at each other and that she was easily allowed entrance to this secret part of the company.

"Problem?" she asked.

Ryouta soon tensed before shaking his head. "N-no. Just surprised. I knew you two were close but I didn't expect that close." He stopped before holding out his hands as if to defend himself. "N-not that there's a problem with it. I mean. It's normal to like someone. I guess it's a little surprising since girls having a relationship with each other is pretty rare."

"It's fine. But I expect you to keep this a secret. We both have reputations to uphold and Ttaru is getting a lot of attention from the media. She's waiting for the right time to come out to her fans."

"I see." He soon found a holographic screen pulled up on the desk, ancient text scrolling in a window and some family portraits. He studied the text, only to be a description of a rare item and different types of powers. He stood up to look at the screen more closely, seeing how some of the powers listed were considered fictional and only found in movies and storybooks.

"Those are all Tomoko's. She doesn't know about them aside from her element and telepathy," Akane explained as she stood up, a tablet in hand.

"Any reason?"

"Our parents kept these powers secret from her. You know how she is." She tapped the tablet to pull up a window, only to be a report of some sort with photos.

Ryouta reached out to it but looked at Akane, unsure if he can interact with it. When she nodded, he gently pressed his finger against the screen to stop the report from scrolling further. He scrolled up to the top before finding the date: April 24, 2014. He skimmed through the report, taking in the photographs on the side when they were referenced. He quickly scrolled to the bottom when he saw photos from police investigations, unable to keep his eyes on the bruises and scars shown.

"So it was more than just a kidnapping case..." he muttered, receiving a small nod. He heard a shaky inhale but didn't turn, knowing the girl is still troubled by the memory.

"At first it was. I made myself believe it was just a kidnapping case and that my sister would be okay. But the fact that it was Tomoko who was taken made it too hard to bear."

"So... why did you show me this?"

"To prove that the three of us didn't have a choice compared to you and your brother. Yes, you have powers, but you were given the choice of if you should use it to assist us in this war. You had a chance to continue your normal life and forget everything. Us? We never had that choice because of these powers and that no matter where or how old we are, we're still at risk of falling into the enemy's hands. She was just thirteen when this happened, Ryouta. Five years without friends and suffering from the bullies with no clue on what her powers are or how to control them.

"I know that stopping her couldn't have prevented them from taking her that time. But at least it could have delayed them and gave us more time to prepare. Just last month, the enemy took notice of this other side of her and tried to find ways to bring it out by causing her so much psychological pain that she was able to kill them in an instant without any memory of the fight. If they keep reading into her, they'll remember who she is and what she has and will do what they did four years ago. Kiku and I are forcing ourselves to become stronger so we can protect her."

Ryouta took in a deep breath before looking at the MoriRed. "I want you to trust me, Akane. Let me fight with you so you don't have to shoulder this burden. Let me fight so I can prove that we're capable enough to earn your forgiveness."

"You're not ready."

"Then teach me. Help me train myself to be a better fighter. Tell me what I have to do so that you can all feel safe around us."

Akane folded her arms, her head down. "It's not that easy. The more you train, the more you awaken your dormant powers. Eventually, you'll lose control of it and maybe yourself if you're not careful."

"I'm willing to take the risk. Please."

Akane nervously pursed her lips, only for her eyes to glow red. The alarms rang as an alert popped up on the screen. She quickly tapped the tablet to show security footage of Ooteshitas attacking the city. She soon recognized the area. "Shit...!" She quickly placed the tablet onto the table before running out, only to run into Hotaru.

"Akane?"

The MoriRed took hold of the idol's shoulders. "Stay here and don't leave the Lab until I say so. Okay?"

Hotaru hesitated at the order but gave a shaky nod. "Get back safely..."

"I'll be fine." She ran out of the building, taking out her hoverboard before flying away.

Hotaru looked at Ryouta who was frozen in his spot, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Ryo-kun?"

The MoriOrange clenched his fists before looking at the girl, his expression stern and his eyes gaining an orange tint. "Ooshiro. I've made my choice."

"Eh?"

* * *

"Hurry and get away!" Tomoko shouted after cutting down a Teshita in front of a civilian. She readied her Critter Blade as her eyes turned an icy blue.

"Tanaka..." the Ooteshitas growled as they looked at her. One of them pointed its sword at her, making the Teshitas charge.

"Doubutsu Henshin!" Her maid uniform quickly turned into her suit before she cut down one of the Teshitas in front of her, kicking another as she held one back with her sword.

"Ji-nee!" Electric bullets shot down a few of the Teshitas before Kiku charged in, cutting a few down with her bayonet. Shota followed close behind as he performed some quick jabs with his tonfas.

"Kiku-chan! Shota-kun!" Tomoko cut down the one surrounding her, only to find more surfacing. "Eh...?"

"Move! Light Sword!" Kiku cut down the Teshitas blocking her way before running to her sister's side, her breathing heavy as she held onto her weapons. "You okay?"

Tomoko gave a shaky nod as she looked at the enemy surrounding them, the two back to back. "There's too many..."

"This is the second time you're attacked this week... What the hell is going on...?" Kiku muttered angrily. Her ears perked and she turned to find an Ooteshita in the air as if to strike from above. Thinking quickly, she quickly pushed her sister out of harm's way before blocking the strike, only to be pushed back by the sudden force.

"Kiku-chan!" Tomoko was about to run to her sister but heard something from behind. She turned to find another Ooteshita swinging its sword in her direction.

A pair of claws quickly intervened, blocking the strike before a foot made contact with the monster's abdomen, knocking it back. Tomoko looked up to find Akane with her Claws out. "Onee-chan."

The MoriRed looked at her sister, smiling in relief that she's unhurt. "You okay?"

Tomoko gave a small nod, which was returned by the older girl. Akane held her claws out to keep the monsters at bay, an arm held out to guard the smaller girl. "Think you can get out of here while we hold them off? I have a bad feeling about this."

"B-but I can't just leave you!"

"Just go!" Flames surrounded her claws before she swung, creating an opening. "Go!" She pushed her sister towards the pathway.

Tomoko looked back at her sister, unsure about the order or what is happening. She shakily inhaled before running off, taking out her hoverboard that flew around to fend off some of the Teshitas charging at her. She jumped on and started to fly away, only for a strange sting of pain run through her head and chest. Her vision blurred as her hand went to her chest before she fell off.

"Tomoko!" "Ji-nee!" Lightning surrounded Kiku's feet so she could run towards her sister but more Teshitas appeared to block her path. "Move out of the way!"

Akane cut down the Teshitas around her before running to her sister. "Tomoko!" Her eyes glowed red as she quickened her pace, worried she won't catch her sister in time.

An orange blur flew past before catching the small girls, flying through the air before landing. The MoriRed slowed down to a stop as Ryouta landed his hoverboard in front of her, Tomoko nestled in his arms as her suit turned back to her work uniform. "Ryouta..."

The orange warrior let out a small laugh before jumping off the hoverboard. "I told you. I have to do something to make sure you trust me and keep you guys safe." He gently placed the girl in Akane's arms. "Not sure what happened, but I figured she'll be safer in your care." He patted Akane's head. "Rest easy, okay? I'll handle these guys." He ran past her towards the small army of Teshitas, twisting the top half of his Cuff.

"Transform! Bear!"

"Doubutsu Henshin!" He released his Cuff before stomping the ground at his next step, making small bits of concrete fly into the air and surround him to form his suit. He took out his spear and continued to charge.

"A strong boulder powered by determination! The tough spirit, MoriOrange!"

He swung his weapon in a swift stroke, cutting down the group around him. He pulled back before impaling one in its stomach before pushing it against those behind it, only to destroy them when they hit a building.

Kiku grimaced when she saw him fight. "He's being more reckless than he usually is..." she muttered as she shot down an Ooteshita.

"He might just be fired up," Shota reason before performing a sweeping kick. He blocked the swords of a few Teshitas before knocking them back with another kick.

"Sho! Hold them down for me!" Ryouta shouted before his spear lengthened and shoved the army into one spot.

"E-eh?!" Shota pushed a Teshita into the pile before holding his tonfas backhanded. "Green Bind!" He struck the ground with his weapons, creating large vines that wrapped around the minions.

"Yosh." Ryouta's eyes gained an orange glow as he readied his spear. He soon heard something stop next to him to find Kiku with her bayonet ready. "Ah. Here to help?" he asked with a slight tease in his voice.

"Repayment for saving Ji-nee again. You need the firepower," she said before her eyes glowed and her weapon grew in size.

"Shouldn't it be your sister?"

Kiku rolled her eyes. "Give it another six years before you reach her level. Now are you attacking or not? Your brother's about to pass out."

Ryouta could only grin at the comment. "I always found your style cute, Kiku-chan." He twirled his weapon before jumping into the air. The blade of his weapon began to glow as he swung back. "Ground Breaker!" He threw his weapon, making it pierce through the center of the bunch. It struck the asphalt before launching large chunks of both asphalt and concrete into the air along with the monsters.

Kiku held the blade behind her back and aimed her rifle at the monsters, releasing a lightning-charged bullet. "Light Boomerang!" She swung down her bayonet, releasing a large crescent of yellow energy that struck the bullet to create a boomerang of energy. It flew through the Teshitas and Ooteshitas in the air before they all turned into ash from the combined attacks.

She twirled her bayonet before securing it at the end of her weapon. "I'll let that slide for today..." she muttered to herself.

* * *

Dorgon let out an amused hum, surprised by how capable the team was against the large number of henchmen thrown at them. "Well. I suppose it's time for this little experiment." He waved his hand over the cauldron, making it glow ominously.

* * *

Shota collapsed onto his knees after removng his tonfas from the ground. "That was a lot tougher than I thought..."

"You're still new so you'll get used to it later," Kiku chided. Her eyes glowed before she looked over at Akane who was also cautious. The ground under them started to shake before they found the Ooteshitas resurrecting as giants. "Three of them...!" She looked at her sisters. "We can't use Chiyu is Ji-nee's out..."

She heard a small yelp and turned to find Ryouta pulling his brother to his feet by the back of his collar. The older of the brothers took out his Robo. "Mind if we give it a try? Kuu told me there's a technique the two of us can do."

Kiku hesitated at the request before glancing back at her sisters, seeing how she has to keep watch. "Fine."

Ryouta pumped his fist in the air before dragging his brother closer to the monsters. "Up and at 'em, Sho! We have giants to fight!"

"N-Nii-san! Slow down!" Shota whined before they stopped at a plaza.

"This should be good." Ryouta held out his Cuff before placing Kuu on top of the projector, making his brother do the same with Jou.

"Battle Enlargement!" Their respective Robos began to glow before growing in size, only for Jou to be much smaller than his brother. The two jumped into the cock pits and placed their weapons at the sides of the panels, starting up the controls.

"You ready, Sho?" Ryouta asked with a smirk, only to hear hesitation in his brother's voice.

"I-I'm not so sure about this..." Shota took hold of the controls before pressing the two buttons simultaneously. He tightly held onto the wheel when the cockpit started to shake and Jou tightly rolled up into a ball.

Ryouta pulled on the right joystick, making Kuu jump into the air before landing on top of his brother, balancing himself like a circus bear. Smiling upon the idea being successful for the time being, he pulled on the joysticks. The robot reacted to the controls and went on all fours before tightly holding onto Jou. "Brace yourself for impact, Sho!" He thrusted the joysticks forward, allowing Kuu to fall back before kicking the ball at the Ooteshitas.

Jou ricocheted between the Ooteshitas and surrounding building, creating damage before landing in Kuu's hold again and sending both of the robots flying to the enemy. "Flying Bear Blitz!" Orange and green energy surrounded the two before they rammed through the monsters, destroying them upon impact.

Kiku put her arms on her hips upon seeing the display, giving a small nod in a sense of temporary approval. She reached for the side of her helmet, activating the intercom. "Any reason how you managed to pull that off?"

Shota weakly got back up in his seat after almost being tossed around by the attack. "Kuu and Jou told us... Is it bad, Kiku-chan?"

The MoriYellow let out a small snort. "Better than whatever else your brother might have had planned."

Ryouta slouched back in his seat, letting out a relieved sigh at what seems to be approval from the youngest. He sat up when he noticed something moving behind the girls. "Akane! Behind you!"

The MoriRed turned at the call to find a stray Teshita leaping at her with a sword in hand. Seeing how she can't react in time, she quickly held Tomoko close to shield her. She heard a pained hiss and turned to find the Teshita on the ground, only to find a black-suited figure in the distance with a white feathered bow in hand. Her eyes widened in shock as she almost lost her hold on her sister when she saw the figure, quickly catching her so she wouldn't fall to the ground.

Kiku froze in her spot when she turned to see the same figure, unable to believe her eyes when she saw the feathered design on the helmet and owl-like beak. The warrior's uniform matched the girls' in black and dark grey, but a noticeable difference were two boxes attached to his back and the need of pants like the two boys. His chest plate was an owl in flight, the wings attached to both of his shoulders that would match the winged shape of his visor.

"Tou...chan...?"

"Akane!" "Kiku-chan!" Ryouta and Shota ran over to the girls and stopped when they saw the mysterious warrior. Ryouta took a step forward when he recognized the suit from the Lab.

"What the hell...?"

The warrior looked at the team before seeing Tomoko unconscious in Akane's arms. He looked back at the team and gave a small nod before running away.

"Wait!" The two brothers chased after him but stopped when the person took out a black and white hoverboard and flew off.

Shota looked at his brother. "Nii-san. Who was that?" he asked, worried about this possible ally that appeared before them.

Ryouta's fists tightly clenched as he looked at where the stranger disappeared. "I don't know, Sho... But I have a bad feeling about this..." He looked back at the girls to find them still in shock, unsure what to make of the situation. "Come on. Let's get them home. They need time to take this all in..."

* * *

 _ **A/N: And just before the girls make their final decisions... I introduce another one *laughs evilly*.**_

 _ **But really. With the way the fights were going, it kind of made sense to me to introduce him. I do not want those suits to be in those glass cases for too long and their roles were way too important and big to be shelved. I'm going to be working on Chapter 13 and so far, their reactions to it would be interesting to watch and help with their growth.  
As for the bear robots, I found it a little humorous when I was trying to think of their final attack. I know there is a huge issue with bears balancing on balls for circus acts, but it felt like it kind of fit when it came to how the brothers can be a source of humor when together (or with Kiku lol). If you're wondering how I came up with their names, it was really simple at first. "Kuu" actually came from "Kuma" which is Japanese for "Bear". It can also be "kuu" as in "to eat" but can be used in a way that you can express "to get an earful" or "to be given hell" which reflects on Ryouta's past.  
"Jou" actually came from "Joey" because at first, I wanted them to be kangaroos because I used to have this story based off of Winnie the Pooh and they represented Kanga and Roo. I changed them to bears as a way of showing how they want to protect the girls (and they're forest animals, so...). Anyways, I looked up the meaning of his name and came up with a few translations depending on how you write it. "Forgive", "mount", or "normal" which actually makes sense when it comes to both him and Shota's character. So I kept the name. **_

_**Now for the Translations!**_

 _ **"Tenchou" is often used for a "shop manager". I know I forgot to include this when I first introduced Tomoko working, but I feel like since she is a working person as well as Akane, it's more than likely that his role would be rather frequent even if small.**_

 _ **I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, but I do know it will be pretty long and pretty dramatic.**_

 _ **Until next time, じゃね～！**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: Happy early Merry Christmas! I know, I've early by about 2 days, but because I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, why not?  
**_

 _ **And just a special Christmas message to all of my readers: Thank you so much for following Moriranger up to this point and I will make sure I keep going strong with this story. I know there are some hiccups along the way, but just know that I won't be making too many drastic changes to the original plot as long as the overall idea is given. I know some people would be thrown off by the idea of an all-female core team or putting in dark backstories unfitting to Super Sentai or the fact that I made Red into a le- anyways. That's not really the point of the story. I like the drama of Sentai, but I also like the character and team building. That's why I really hoped that some of my loyal readers can reach this chapter as there will be a lot of team building as we introduce team members outside of the family and what is in store for all of them. I hope you all enjoy these next few chapters as it will be a huge plot point in the story. So without further ado, here is Part 1 of the Family Secret plotline!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Sentai or any of its characters. I only own my original characters and story.**_

* * *

Akane pushed her uncle against the wall, the collar of his shirt balled up in her fists. "What do you mean they just disappeared?! I was here and they were in the cases the whole time!" she scowled, her eyes glowing red as she seethed. After what happened in the city, the boys decided last minute to head to the Lab so they could take care of Tomoko and find out why she suddenly collapsed. Once they got there, Akane ordered the team to stay with Tomoko in the medical lab while she talked to their uncle.

"Akane." Hotaru pulled her off the man. Akane forcefully pulled away from the idol but stopped when she saw Hotaru's face.

She looked away. "Sorry…" She felt a pair of arms wrap around her and soothing words were whispered in her ear. Once she was calm enough, she looked at her uncle. "Tell me what happened."

Hiro nervously pursed his lips and Akane noticed his gaze went over her shoulder towards her girlfriend. "Probably best if she told you since she saw it for herself."

Akane turned towards the idol to look at her. "Ttaru?"

Hotaru took in a deep breath, tightly holding onto her wolf to calm her. "I wasn't really sure what happened. Right after Ryou-kun took off, I saw them glowing. Before I knew what was going on, they just disappeared into thin air. Hiro-ojisan checked the security footage when I told him. They just combined and disappeared into thin air. I think that was when Tomoko collapsed…"

At those words, Akane pulled away before going to the computer. She quickly typed and pulled up multiple windows, muttering curses and mumbles they couldn't make out as she tried to look for information. Hotaru watched her in worry, unsure if she should talk to the MoriRed or not. She looked at the glass case where the black suit reappeared when the team returned.

* * *

A pair of eyes slowly opened, letting out a small blue glow as they looked at their surroundings. "Ji-nee!" Kiku rushed to her sister's side. "You okay?"

"Kiku-chan..." Tomoko slowly sat up, making her sister hold onto her for support. Her hand went to her head as she winced. "What happened...?"

"You collapsed when Nee-chan made you run away... Ryouta caught you, but we don't know what happened..."

Tomoko looked at her sister and leaned back against the cot, trying to recollect what happened. "I'm not sure... I was fine but everything just became a blur when I tried to run..." She looked at her younger sister, only to notice the look in her eyes. Some kind of distraction and worry. "Kiku-chan. Was there more that happened when I collapsed?"

Kiku froze, unsure if she should tell the smaller girl what happened with their father's suit. Ryouta took note of the hesitation before speaking up. "Sho and I were asking if we were on the team. Your sisters are still thinking about it." This made Kiku look at him, surprised to see him suddenly come up with a lie.

Shota tilted his head. "Nii-san. Shouldn't we tell her that-" He was cut off when Ryouta quickly covered his face with his hand, stopping him from finishing his sentence.

"They still haven't made up their minds yet, Sho," Ryouta said with a teasing hint in his voice. "They only agreed on training which is nothing." He gave his brother a gentle push, not enough to knock him off his chair. "Why don't you and Kiku get some snacks? I'm sure you guys are pooped from training and fighting. You can probably meet with Akane since she said she wanted to hear when Chibi would wake up." He hastily hoisted his brother off his seat much to the MoriGreen's protests. "Come on. Out you go. I'll watch Chibi just in case she passes out again." He shooed them away.

Picking up on his scheme, Kiku pushed Shota out of the door. "Just bear with it," she muttered before the door closed behind them.

Ryouta let out a sigh before looking at Tomoko with a sheepish grin on his face. "So that was what happened."

The MoriBlue looked at her older comrade, unsure what to make of the situation. She let out a sigh before folding her arms. Ryouta noticed her eyes became a mixture of orange and blue, a color he was more than familiar with. He sat down next to the cot. "You okay, Chibs?"

Tomoko gave a small nod, her lips pursed as she tried to recollect what happened. She looked at the orange warrior. "Ryouta-san. Did Onee-chan tell you what happened? The truth of the incident four years ago."

The MoriOrange thought for a moment, unsure how to answer the girl's question. He looked at the small girl before asking "Do you…?" He slowly trailed off, unsure if she remembers or found out.

She shook her head as she looked away, her hand reaching for her locket and rubbing her thumb over the engraving. Ryouta soon grew worried when he saw her small habit. "I've been slowly getting bits and pieces of my memories... The ones I've always locked away whenever I don't want to remember them... They've been getting worse ever since we started fighting and I'm afraid it had to do with the enemy or something with my powers..."

Ryouta looked down at this, remembering the report he read as well as what Akane told him.

If they keep reading into her, they'll remember who she is and what she has and will do what they did four years ago. Kiku and I are forcing ourselves to become stronger so we can protect her.

He reached out before gently resting his hand on her head, seeing how many people have done it and she never seemed to mind. He felt her tense at his touch before relaxing a bit, having not been touched in such a manner from anyone outside the family aside from her friends. "I'm sure Akane will figure it out and help. But I'm surprised you're willing to tell me and not Kiku when she was in here."

"I didn't want her to worry more than she already is... She and Onee-chan are both training so hard to protect me... I don't even know why they are, but I just know that telling them everything will make them even more cautious around me... I just don't want to be so much of a burden to them after everything that's happened..." She looked at the orange warrior. "Can you keep this secret from them, Ryouta-san?"

This made him hesitate, seeing how he doesn't want to ruin his shaky trust with the sisters. He pulled away and looked down. "I can't promise you anything, Chibi. I can't lose Akane's trust after she just gave it back after so long so keeping this secret from her will be tricky. But I will be there when you tell her. It's the least I could do since it's too important to keep this away from your sisters."

* * *

Kiku walked into her father's lab with some cake in hand, Shota following her a few steps behind. She looked around and noticed her sister was absent and her uncle was worriedly gazing at the screen in front of him. "Hiro-ojisan. Did Nee-chan leave?" she asked before placing the tray onto the large work desk.

The President sighed before looking at his niece. "Your sister went to go track down the person who has your parents' Cuffs. She located the GPS on them and headed out."

"Alone?!"

"Hotaru followed her in case she was to, as Hotaru says, 'blows a fuse'. They left not too long ago."

Kiku banged a fist against the table, creating a large dent as she glared at her uncle with glowing yellow eyes. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?! It's Tou-chan's and Kaa-chan's Cuffs!" she scowled. Shota quickly backed away when he found sparks surrounding the girl, unsure if it's safe to be close to her.

Hiro didn't seem to be fazed by her behavior and stood up. "Akane said to leave it in her care while you watch Tomoko. She needed at least one of you to watch her since the brothers aren't ready for such a task."

The MoriYellow stopped upon hearing his words, now realizing how important it was. She scowled again. "That idiot...! She should have told me it involved that stupid thing..." She picked up her tray before taking her leave.

Shota stood up to follow her. "K-Kiku-chan! Where are you-?"

"Going to watch Ji-nee," she snapped," Nee-chan's orders."

Shota watched his friend, worried about this sudden change in behavior from the carefree warrior. He shook his head to shake away his unease before catching up to her.

* * *

Hotaru found herself forcefully prying Akane off of Satoshi after the MoriRed pushed him into the jungle gym in the middle of his jog. "Easy, wolfie... Calm down, girl..." she soothed as she held her girlfriend back. "Come on. Let Akane out." She repeatedly snapped her fingers, calming the fire wielder enough to not struggle in her hold.

"When?!" she scowled, her eyes glowing red as she glared at the boy.

Satoshi froze at her gaze, almost seeing a red aura in the shape of a growling wolf behind her. "I... I just..."

"When the hell were you going to tell us that you took our parents' powers?!"

"I-I can explain! I really can!"

"Then talk!"

Satoshi backed into the jungle gym when he saw her struggling again, not wanting to be pinned by the college student. "K-Kiseki! I-I had to stay away because I didn't want Tomoko to know! E-especially since she doesn't know about Kiseki!"

Akane stopped when she heard the name. She let go of Hotaru's arms. "Let me go."

"But-"

"Just do it before I do it again!"

Hotaru looked at her girlfriend before slowly pulling away, staying close in case the MoriRed were to attack. She reached out when Akane pulled the boy by his shirt collar but stopped when she noticed her anger didn't spike.

"I want you to stay the hell away from my sister, Takahashi," she seethed with a low growl. "Be happy she didn't see you in our father's suit. You hear me?!"

Satoshi nervously swallowed before giving a shaky nod. He relaxed a little when she let go and leaned back against the metal bars.

Akane walked off before taking out her hoverboard. "Ttaru. I'm taking you home. It's getting late." She jumped onto the board before holding out her hand, not looking at the idol.

Hotaru looked at the girl, unsure how to calm her. She reluctantly climbed onto the board and spare straps held her feet for safety. She wrapped her arms around the MoriRed before they took off, leaving Satoshi by himself.

"Akane...? You okay?"

Akane's hands tightly clenched as she didn't take her eyes off her route. "Yeah..."

Hotaru's hold tightened as she buried her face into the MoriRed's shoulder. "You suck at lying..."

The two landed in front of the idol's house, allowing her to jump off. She looked at her girlfriend for a farewell, but found her avoiding her gaze. Akane took in a shaky breath before looking at the idol. "Just... stay away for a while... Chiharu and Kyoko, too... It's too dangerous for you to be near us until we get things figured out..."

Hotaru gently hugged her arms, knowing things will become rough for the family. "You sure you don't want me there if anything happens?"

"Not if the wolf becomes too angry..." She took off, leaving the idol alone at the doorstep.

Hotaru hugged her arms tighter from the breeze, letting out a sigh when it was gone. "You dummy…"

* * *

Kiku nervously pursed her lips as she cut up the carrots for dinner. She looked over towards Tomoko who was frying up the sliced beef and onions. "N-ne, Ji-nee. Are you sure you're okay with cooking? I can take over if you're still sick."

At this, the MoriBlue looked at her sister, slightly annoyed of her constant worry. "I'm really okay, Kiku-chan. It was small so I should be fine," she said with a pout. She went back to cooking the meat. "Besides, you and Onee-chan are so worried that I want to make sure that you eat properly. It's Mama's recipe so it should help make you feel better."

"Tomoko-sama. Kiku-sama is just worried since it's the first time you collapsed like that," Shichi said. "We just don't know if it will happen again." He placed bowls of rice on the counter. "But it's best to consider the risks if you push yourself too hard."

"Then the same should apply to Onee-chan and Kiku-chan. They've been training more ever since Aika-chan was targeted. Too much, if you ask me."

"It's just for precautions," Kiku said," You know that our powers are growing, Ji-nee. We have to train to make sure we can control it better."

Tomoko looked at her sister before putting down the pan and spatula. "I know that…! But you're too reckless…! Everything is always for my sake and you're always hiding something…!" Tears started to sting her eyes as she looked down.

"Ji-nee…" Kiku felt herself wanting to hold her sister but found herself frozen in place, unsure how to comfort the smaller girl.

The front door opened but no one moved, making Akane walk into the kitchen. She took note of the tense atmosphere and reached over to turn off the stove. "Dinner's going to burn." She rested her hands on her sisters' shoulders. "Why don't you two sit down? I'll finish the rest." She stopped them from protesting before gently pushing them to the dining table, making sure they sat down before going back to the stove.

She turned on the heat before mixing the beef, making sure nothing started to burn when she walked into the house. Shichi nervously made his way to the cutting board to finish up the salad Kiku was preparing. Akane gave him a small nod in thanks before continuing her work.

Her gaze went towards the clock on the stovetop and the date just underneath the time. She carefully placed the meat and onions on top of the rice, adding some chopped scallions on top for garnishing. Once she was done, she placed the bowls onto a tray with the now-finished salad bowls and brought them to the dining table. The three said their thanks and started to eat in silence.

Akane quietly studied her sisters as they ate, seeing the guilty look on Kiku's face and a strange sense of insecurity on Tomoko's. She took a bite out of her dinner before placing her bowl on the table, making the two look at her. "Already full?" Kiku asked before taking another bite.

"Not yet. But it's best to get everything cleared up. Surely something happened just before I got home so I want to make sure that we get everything settled before bedtime. After dinner, we'll set the bath and do the dishes together. I will wash, Tomoko will dry and Kiku will put them away. After that, we clean ourselves up and meet in the living room. Family Meeting."

She looked at her sisters, taking in their reactions. Tomoko looked off to the side, her lips nervously pressed together when she nodded. Kiku was softly grumbling to herself before letting out a small "Fine."

"Good. Now let's continue eating and we should be set."

* * *

Tomoko tightly held onto her teddy bear as she was curled up on the couch, gently playing with its arms to put herself at ease. Kiku was on the loveseat with a small book in hand, keeping her distance from her small sister. Akane just came down the stairs, letting her hair loose from the bun she put up so her hair wouldn't get wet during her bath.

She stopped when she noticed her sisters being as far as possible from one another. She went over to Tomoko on the couch before shifting her away from the armrest and closer to the center cushion. She then went to Kiku who chose to ignore her, playing with the corner of the page she was pretending to read. She folded her arms and quirked an eyebrow, only to notice how it irked the youngest sister.

"Come on. This is important. I'll be right in between you guys."

Kiku rolled her eyes, but decided to toss her book onto the coffee table and joined her sisters on the couch, Akane in the center as promised. "I really don't see a need for a Family Meeting…"

"I would want to say the same, but this is something really important and I need both of you here so we can have it." She gently nodded her head towards the small shrine in the far corner opposite of the TV. "Otou-san and Okaa-san, too."

"Guess it's that important, huh…?"

"Yeah." Akane reached for the shelf under the coffee table to take out a tablet. She tapped a few icons before part of the table opened to reveal a holographic lens that projects a screen. Something Akane found out about when she was sorting through the tablets in the Base. It was convenient so they didn't have to go all the way down to the basement.

She pulled up a few windows, one of them holding a 3-dimensional model of a lotus-shaped crystal. Another had the scrolling list of powers she showed Ryouta not too long ago.

She felt Kiku hold onto her arm when the windows popped up and rested a hand on hers in comfort. Tomoko, on the other hand, tightly held onto her bear when she saw the file name for the crystal. "Ki…seki…?" She looked at her sisters, unsure what she's seeing.

Akane rested the tablet on her lap as she looked at her sister. "Kiseki is a family treasure that has been passed on in the Tanaka bloodline for generations. When it first appeared, it answered the prayers of out ancestor, Tanaka Kaguya. She and her family were forced to be servants of a corrupt shogun who abused his powers and wanted to make her his mistress and put their family in debt. She prayed for a way to save her family and Kiseki appeared to give her the power to take down large armies. But in order to use her powers, she had to make sure her heart was pure and that she would only use her powers to benefit others instead of herself. With the help of the Shiba Clan who found out about her intentions, they were able to overthrow the shogun and create peace for the country. She didn't take the throne and instead allowed her sister to take it, seeing how it's best to keep Kiseki a secret and being the new ruler would have been too risky.

"Ever since that day, the Tanaka family was blessed with powers over the elements and were able to make contact with the Animal Spirits who were able to bond with them. Each generation would have someone hold onto Kiseki as long as they had a pure heart and had people protecting them. Those born with these powers or chosen were called Guardians and were trained to protect the holder from anyone who would target them for Kiseki. People like Nightshift…"

Tomoko tightly hugged her bear, her eyes letting out an orange glow at the information. "So… everything that has happened… it was because of Kiseki…?" she murmured.

Akane gave a small nod as she looked down. "Okaa-san once held Kiseki and was trained at a young age to control her powers. Kasumi-obasan and the rest of our aunts and uncles served as her Guardians. Otou-san was chosen to be her Protector, someone with a link to the Holder and keep them safe."

"So… the one who holds Kiseki now…" Tomoko quickly shook her head when her sisters didn't reply. She stood up and faced them. "I-it can't be me! I-I can't be pure enough to hold it! That can't be right!"

Kiku stood up and took hold of her sister's shoulders, tears stinging her eyes. "Well we couldn't believe it, either, Ji-nee! How did you think we felt when we found out about this?! Keeping this from you when we know for sure the enemy was going to remember you and target you! What choice do we have other than training our asses off to protect you?!"

"But it can't be right! I-it just can't! I-I-!"

Akane noticed her sister's aura becoming dark and shaky, making her stand up and separate the two. She gently took hold of Tomoko and petted her head. "Hey. Hey, listen to me. Come on." She pulled her sister into a hug, only to find her crying into her chest. She gently combed her fingers through Tomoko's hair in comfort. "We don't like it, either… But we don't have a choice but learn to accept it…"

"It's all my fault… M-Mama and Papa died because of me…"

"Hey. Don't say that. No one would ever blame you for that, you hear me? They died protecting us. They died to make sure we wouldn't face the enemy until we were ready. Okay?"

"Why me…? Wh-why couldn't it be you or Kiku-chan…? Why did it have to be me…?"

Akane tightly held onto her small sister at this, seeing how terrified she is of the news. After learning about Kiseki, herself, Akane couldn't help but to blame it for all of the suffering her sister went through and that they have powers they can't control. She questioned why it would choose the most fragile of three, but couldn't come up with an answer she could be happy with.

"I wish I knew…"

The three stood there in silence, unaware of the two robots watching them from the basement staircase. They retreated into the Base and Shichi nervously wrung his hands together. "I suppose trouble will be approaching Tomoko-sama soon… Having to tell her everything…"

Hiro looked at the computer and folded his arms. "It's concerning how the time to tell her became sooner than what was expected. Even the Protector has already shown himself without her knowing. It's probably better that she's not aware of his appearance and identity for the time being. Seeing him would be too much of a shock."

"Yeah…"

* * *

Dorgon flipped through the large book, taking in the new information that has been added in. He stopped at the page with the girls before finding the scratched out part under Tomoko. A dark glow surrounded the text before making it clearer to read.

The elite brushed his clawed finger over the new text. "So it was this that has been sealed from our memories. I suppose my suspicions were correct." He looked at Tomoko's photo, now seeing some kind of resemblance. He couldn't put his finger on what exactly it was, but he knew he encountered her and her powers once in the past.

"Gorgon. Come forward."

The sound of clacking heels rang through the cave, allowing the appearance of a new monster. Her dark green skin accompanied by sharp blue eyes. Her hair made of black snakes that draped over her armor-covered shoulders. Her body was covered by a tight black leotard and a belt with guards hanged around her waist.

She stopped a few feet behind the Head General before kneeling. "You called, Father?" she asked, her head lowered.

"There's something I'd like for you to do. I'm sure your memories have resurfaced on why we fight the Tanaka Clan for so long." He held out the book for her to see. "I want you to lure out these three. The blue one, especially. I'm sure that her teammates would find ways to hide her from us, but I doubt she'll ignore those in need."

Gorgon tilted her head as she examined the photos, finding some familiarity with them. She closed the book and returned it to her father. "Understood. Will you be following as well?"

"Once she shows herself, yes. I have no doubts that you'll need an extra hand when the Clan strikes."

The young elite gave a small nod and bowed. "Understood. I will make sure all three of them show themselves when I strike."

* * *

Akane tapped her sneakers against the pavement, making sure they fit before her morning run. After telling Tomoko of the truth behind their powers, she had to find a way to let loose before she would lose control of herself. She let her sisters sleep in their parents' room as it had a queen-sized bed to fit all three of them so at least they had each other when they woke up and make up for their argument last night.

She closed the gate behind her and stopped when she found Satoshi sitting against the brick wall of the fence. He seemed to be waiting to walk her sister to school as evident of his uniform and a small conbini bag with empty wrappers from his breakfast.

He took note of her presence and froze, shuffling to his feet to greet her. "'M-morni-!" He was cut off by a kick to the stomach, knocking him back. He rolled over to his side and clutched his abdomen from the sudden pain.

"I thought I told you to stay away from my sister, Takahashi," the MoriRed scowled.

Satoshi slowly got to his feet. "W-well… I just wanted to walk her to school. As a friend, I mean. Kyoko and Chi-chan have rehearsals for their tour today so I didn't want her to be alone."

"You do know that one of her powers is aura reading, right? She's beginning to develop it more so she'll find out about you sooner or later. Besides, I'm letting her stay home. It's too risky letting her go to school today."

"Are you sure that's really safe?"

Akane folded her arms, annoyed at how the boy wouldn't listen to her orders. Probably a bad habit from Protectors, she thought. "The Base and Lab were built to deflect any kind of tracking the enemy does on us. They only attack us when we're out in the open so I just need her to stay inside until we can consider it safe enough for her to step out.

"Just stay away for now. We don't need her finding out about someone using our father's powers just to protect her. It doesn't matter if you were chosen to be her Protector. You're just going to run out and get yourself killed."

"And you think I'm not worried about her being dragged into this mess because of her powers? The least I could do is protect her."

"Protect her and traumatize her more than she already is? She nearly lost Kyoko and Chiharu when they got involved in a fight once to protect her and she lost control of herself. If she finds out that you of all people began fighting for her safety, she won't be the same and lose herself completely." She felt flames surrounding her hands for a brief moment and shook it off, not wanting to lose her patience more than she already has. "Stay away from her, Takahashi. This is your last warning." She turned on her heel before jogging away, leaving the boy alone.

* * *

Ryouta looked in the mirror a robot held out to him as he adjusted the glasses Hiro gave him. "So these pretty much block people from seeing my eyes going crazy?" he asked, seeing how his eyesight hasn't really changed.

"You and your brother won't be needing them as often as the girls, but I am giving them to you as a precaution in the case where your powers begin to surface more frequently," the company president said as he typed on his computer. "But you should be fine for the time being-" He stopped when he saw the orange warrior making faces and poses at the mirror. "Are you even listening?"

Ryouta looked over. "Sorry. Just making sure they fit properly. Not all guys can wear glasses, so it's a little weird."

Hiro let out a sigh before standing up. "It's best to take this more seriously. I know Akane and Kiku have decided to keep you and your brother around, but there are a lot of risks involving the development of your powers as well as the current situation."

"That's true..." Ryouta recalled seeing the black suit. "So who was that guy and why did he have Tanaka-jisan's suit?"

"According to the timing and the usual role for the wind spirits, he would serve as Tomoko's Protector. I'm sure the Bear Brothers gave you an idea about Kiseki after Akane told you about the incident."

"A family heirloom that allowed the immediate bloodline to hold powers, right? So this guy is pretty much the person bound to Chibi by fate to keep her safe, right?"

"In simpler terms, yes. My brother was the previous Protector as he was chosen to be Sakura's when she was just Tomoko's age. The role was extended to Tomoko since she was too young to have a Protector. It was that title that allowed him to track her and save her from being completely damaged that day." His gaze lowered as he recalled the funeral. "A shame that the girls has to make do without a Protector for so long. They won't accept this person due to the connection his powers have with their father."

Ryouta looked at the older man before folding his arms. "It does seem to be a huge weight: protecting three girls from monsters who want their powers. Probably another reason why Akane didn't want us to join the team. But thanks, Hiro-jisan. Allowing us entrance here."

"I'm not underestimating my nieces, but there is power in numbers, even if the ones chosen can be questionable at first."

Ryouta fell forward a little bit at the sudden jab. "That's a bit harsh..."

The door opened as Akane stepped in, still in her jogging outfit. She grabbed a towel from a robot that followed her before wiping off her sweat from the near-summer heat. "Guess you used this morning to tell him," she said, not looking at either of the two.

Ryouta paused, unsure what to say or how to decipher her question. "Er... well..."

"Just the basics," Hiro interjected," Mostly about who that newcomer is and about Kiseki. Are you here for that upgrade?"

"Since it's soon, yeah." She reached for her anklet before taking it off to hand to her uncle. "Estimated time for completion?"

"Tomorrow the latest."

She quickly pulled back before her uncle can grab it. "That's too long," she chided, only to find her uncle unfazed.

"Your powers are growing exponentially. It will take some time."

"If I go insane, just know it's your fault." She reached into her pocket to take out Kiku's, seeing how hers needed an upgrade as well.

Hiro accepted the items. "We already have the room ready in the event of an emergency."

Akane gave a small nod. "Let me know when it's done." She made her way out and Ryouta decided to follow her.

"I'm surprised you're here this early," he said," Any reason?"

"Just have to clear my head after yesterday's events." They stepped into the elevator. "So you came in to pick up your glasses?" she asked, pointing at his new spectacles.

At this, Ryouta had on a teasing smirk. "Glad you noticed. I heard girls like guys with glasses. Gives them that cute nerdy look girls like."

Akane didn't seem to be fazed by his flirtatious comment. "Wow. I now regret breaking up with you to embrace the fact that I like girls," she said with evident sarcasm. He fell back in mock hurt.

"Ah. That stings." He straightened himself up with a sheepish laugh. "Guess glasses won't really change my chances with other girls, huh?"

"Depends on if they like how you flirt. But just so you know: you look like a teacher trying too hard to be cool with his students with those on so good luck with that." The elevator doors opened and she walked out with her classmate frozen in shock and horror.

He chased after her ."Y-you don't really mean that, right?!"

This made the MoriRed laugh, seeing how he suddenly took the conversation so seriously. "No. But don't let the glasses do the work if you want to hit it off with some girl you have your eye on."

"Ah... That's what you meant..." He took off the glasses as they walked out of the building. "I'm surprised your uncle can make stuff like this."

"It's more of giving us a sense of normalcy."

"Wouldn't colored contacts work?"

"Sometimes the color can go through if we're not careful. Tomoko tried once but her eyes are too sensitive. I think Ttaru tried colored contacts for promotional stuff, but she said that some of the contacts don't cover all of her iris. But they're working on some in case we don't want to wear them all the time."

"I see..." He folded the spectacles and had them hanging from the neckline of his t-shirt. "So what now?" he asked, changing the subject. "With that new guy joining in on our fights, it means Chibi will be in danger, right?"

"I'm having her stay home for today. She's fragile right now since I had to tell her everything." She swiped her hand over her Cuff, summoning a small black case. She held it out to her former classmate who took hold of it.

"What's this for?" he asked, opening it up. Inside were three black boxes with red lines going through the center. He wasn't sure what their purpose was, but even then, most of the company's technology involving the team can be unpredictable and he wouldn't want to risk it.

"Proof of you gaining our trust. I don't know what will happen now that we know Kiseki will be targeted so we have to be cautious.

"My father made those when we started to show signs of developing our powers as children. In case we were to lose control, those would disable us long enough to bring us to the Lab and have us calm down there."

"I'm guessing it has happened before?"

"You can say that."

Ryouta looked at the girl before deciding on not pressing more into the situation. He pocketed the case before putting his hands behind his neck and leaning back as he walked. "I don't have any classes today. I can watch her if you don't want her by herself at home."

"I don't think leaving her alone with a guy would be the best option. She has panic attacks around them when she's like this."

"Not even outside the house?"

"You'd look like a stalker."

Ryouta paused, now seeing how creepy it is to suggest such a thing. "Right."

The two continued to walk before Akane's Cuff rang. She turned the alarm off. "Guess I should head back. They should be up by now so I have to tell them what's going on."

"Take care of yourself, okay?"

Akane gave a small nod before running off. Ryouta watched before letting out a sigh. He held up his Cuff to make a call. "Hey, Sho. You awake? Got a job for you."

* * *

Akane folded her arms when she found Kiku holding onto their sister from behind, her head on top of the smaller girl. "Kiku. You have to get to school."

This made the youngest of the three pout. "I don't want to leave Ji-nee by herself."

"Hiro and Shichi are home. And you have exams coming up, don't you? It's best to go to school and study for those."

Kiku began to pout more, seeing how it's true. The same would apply to Tomoko but she doesn't have anyone watching her. Chiharu and Kyoko can't be put into danger again with a tour coming up, and Satoshi is a no-go given his secret identity and how Tomoko becomes panicky around the opposite gender.

Tomoko looked up at her sister. "Kiku-chan. It's okay. I'll be home all day so I'll be fine."

"What if you get hungry and there's no food in the fridge?"

"Shichi said he'll get it."

"Shichi sucks at being outside."

"But he already made lunch."

"Not enough for a whole day. What if you want snacks or something?"

Akane let out a sigh as she watched the two's banter. "Kiku. Head to school. Tomoko will call me if she needs anything so don't worry about it. I have breaks so it's fine."

Kiku pouted before letting go. "I'm coming back after the last class. The gaming club will be fine without me for a day. And Ji-nee." She gently flicked her smaller sister's forehead. "Toughen up and don't leave the house. Okay?"

Tomoko gave a small nod. Taking the answer as acceptable, Kiku grabbed her bag and took her leave. The two heard her greeting Shota who seemed to be waiting for her and take her to school before their footsteps faded.

Akane sighed before looking at her small sister. "Did you eat yet?"

Tomoko looked at her and gave a small nod. "Shichi made breakfast since you went out for a bit. He packed a lunch for later in case I get hungry while he's working."

"I see." She noticed the worry in her little sister and pulled her into a comforting hug. "You'll be fine… I promise…"

Tomoko's eyes lowered, sensing unease and worry from her older sister. She gently returned the hug, knowing how much the eldest of the three needed reassurance. "Okay…"

* * *

Chiharu looked over at Satoshi who was sulking in his seat. She noticed the bruise on his cheek and went over. "Takahashi-kun. Did something happen?" she asked.

The boy looked at her before sheepishly scratching the back of his neck. "I kind of angered Akane-san and Kiku this morning… Kiku saw me on her way to school and gave me this."

The idol let out a small hum in understanding. She looked over towards Tomoko's desk. _"I guess that's why Tomo-chi isn't here today…"_ Her gaze lowered as she remembered seeing the sad look on Hotaru's face the night before. Seeing how she was mostly with Akane during the day, it probably had something to do with the family secret.

She found something at the corner of her eye to be a small black cuff hiding in Satoshi's bag. Recognizing it, she looked at the boy. "Takahashi-kun. It's best to wait for them to calm down. They must have had something on their mind when they became angry."

"Y-yeah…" He looked back at his textbook before his eyes turned grey for a moment. "Hm?"

Chiharu tilted her head, seeing how he suddenly lost focus for a moment. "Is everything okay?"

He shook his head before resting his finger on his chin in thought, his eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Not sure… But I have a bad feeling about this…"

* * *

 _ **A/N: And that's the end of Part 1! So what do you think? Yes? No?**_

 _ **So yes, there will be multiple parts of this storyline. I think there will be a total of about... I think maybe three parts for the introduction (aka this) and I would have more parts of it scattered around depending on how the plot progresses. I'm actually not sure now because the way I've been writing the past three chapters is completely different than how I outlined it. Satoshi wasn't even supposed to be revealed as MoriBlack until near the end of this chapter but I just figured that there would be much more drama about his identity and powers than what I originally intended. It's just insane so I have to keep changing and revising this part of the story until it would reach a better conclusion for the Ueno Brothers arc and now finding a way to begin this giant arc about Kiseki.  
The next part will feature Gorgon attacking the city, but I cannot say more than that because of spoilers. Shall I include flashbacks? Maybe. Should I really? (quickly checks initial rating) ...I can try!**_

 _ **Now for the Translation!  
**_

 _ **"Kiseki" can be translated as "Miracle". I originally had it named "Pure no Kokoro" (Pure Heart) but that's too on the nose. The general idea of having Kiseki is pretty much giving the team some kind of advantage over the enemy since it's so powerful. The downside? Tomoko has no clue how to use it because she did not know what extent her powers reach until now with that giant list of what she can do. I'm not saying she'll quickly learn how to use it simply because that's too unrealistic. So what can she use now?  
-Self-healing  
-Enhanced Senses  
-Water Manipulation (all forms)  
-Releasing dark pulses (that shall be explained in later chapters)  
-Plant Manipulation (as seen in Chapter 7)  
It's a lot. I know. But the fun is to see how much she can use by the time this series ends. I'm not having her as the sole focus of the show (that's Akane aka Red aka THE MAIN PROTAGONIST by Toei's standards), but it's nice to see what kind of development she'll get from it and, in turn, the others as the series progresses.**_

 _ **That should be all for now. So Read and Review if you can, please!**_

 _ **Until next time, じゃね～！**_


	14. Chapter 14

**_A/N: And... Here is Part 2 of the Family Secret Arc! I know. It's fast, but I couldn't help it. These chapters are pretty much crazy and makes you scratch your head about what happened in the past. But enough chit-chat. Please enjoy Part 2!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Super Sentai or its characters. I only own my original characters and story._**

* * *

Tomoko scrolled through the files in boredom, unsure what she wants to find in her parents' database. She took note of how it was organized, seeing how her parents wanted to make it easier to access certain files depending on the date. Those that took place in a series of dates would have their own folder name succeeded with the dates. Miscellaneous folders seemed to fall under Personal Files as she didn't see the usual label. She clicked on the folder to find a family photo at the top for quick access. Possibly a shortcut her father made for when he had to work long hours.

She studied the photo, taking in the memories of when it was taken. It was just after they moved into the city so the girls were a little uncomfortable and fussy after living in Kyoto for so long. To cheer them up, the parents decided it was best to take them to an amusement park to calm their nerves, seeing how they never went as a family of five.

She softly smiled at the memory, knowing it was one of the more peaceful days where they didn't have to worry about anything aside from each other. Her gaze went towards her mother who was hugging the two older sisters while Kenta had Kiku sit on his shoulders. She noticed how her mother's eyes had a small white and pink tint in her irises despite being their usual brown. A sign of her status as Haku's partner and having full control of her powers. She looked over towards her father to find his eyes a dark grey, possibly a sign of continuously using his powers to protect his family.

She let out a soft sigh before closing the photo and searching through the folders again. She noticed one was labelled "Kiseki" and opened it, finding subfolders with names and years. She scrolled down towards the end where she found a folder for her mother and one for herself. Both had years five years after their birth. She nervously bit her lower lip as the mouse hovered over her name.

Seeing how no one was stopping her at the moment, she opened the folder, finding an assortment of documents labeled with dates and events. She scrolled through the files before she reached a title that caught her eye.

 _April 23rd-24th, 2014: Unforeseen Circumstances_

Remembering the date, she hovered the mouse over the file, only for her hands to start shaking in fear of what she'll find.

"Tomoko-sama?"

She jumped at the call and turned to find Shichi who was holding her lunch on a tray. The robot noticed the orange and purple in the girl's eyes and worry started to overcome him, not wanting to see the girl so fearful. He hovered over to her and noticed the windows she opened up on the computer. He placed the tray on the table before taking the mouse from her hands and using it to close the window.

"Tomoko-sama. It's best to not go through that if it feels you're not ready." He turned off the computer before placing the heated lunch box in front of her. "I know you must be curious about Kiseki after what Akane-sama has told you, but just know that this information has to be taken in slowly. I know it's hard given the situation, but be patient, okay? There are some things people aren't ready for."

The small girl mustered a small nod. "S-sorry..."

"It's fine. Why don't you eat your lunch? You must be hungry. Kiku-sama has been messaging me to feed you during her breaks so it's best to not let her worry and come home with you hungry."

Tomoko couldn't help but to smile at the complaint and nodded, knowing how the youngest of the three can be a little peeved when her older sisters aren't taking care of themselves properly. "Thank you, Shichi. I'll make sure I'll enjoy it as much as possible."

She opened up her lunch as there were small puffs of stream from the freshly heated meal. She smiled at the design the robot made to cheer her up and did not doubt the idea of doing the same for her sisters. She was about to say her thanks when her eyes turned violet and a strange pulse coursed through her body. She quickly grabbed the edge of the table to steady herself as her breathing became heavy.

"T-Tomoko-sama?!" Shichi took hold of the girl in fear she'll collapse. "A-are you okay?!"

Tomoko gave a small nod as her hand grasped her head. _"This dark feeling... It's different from the others..."_ she thought, recalling how the times she sensed the Teshitas weren't as severe.

The alarms rang through the house, making Shichi jump from the sudden noise. Several windows popped up on the screens to show security footage of Gorgon marching through the city with an army of Teshitas and Ooteshitas.

Hiro rushed into the room and pulled up a window in search of enemy data. "Gorgon. As the name says, she is based off of the mythical creature with snake-like hair and the ability to turn her victims into stone." He pulled up a chart that showed the hierarchy of Nightshift and highlighted the second tier. "She's labelled as an elite given her strength and powers."

 _[Ryouta and I will be on our way!]_ Akane said through the intercom. _[Kiku. Shota. Take care of the Teshitas while we take care of Gorgon.]_

 _[Roger!]_

Tomoko quickly stood up. "I'll-!"

 _[Tomoko. You're staying home. If they're sending out an elite, they're aiming for you. Stay home.]_

"But-!"

 _[Tomoko! That's final!]_

Tomoko heard the click ending the call and banged her fist against the table. She made her way to the stairs to find Hiro blocking her way. "Don't block me, Hiro!"

The robot stood his ground. "You know just as well as we do that it's too dangerous. We can't let you fall into enemy's hands."

Her fists tightly clenched as tears threatened to fall. "Even so... I can't let Onee-chan and Kiku-chan get killed because of me! Mama and Papa died to protect me and now it will be Onee-chan and Kiku-chan! How can you expect me to live with that?! How can you expect me to just live on when everyone is dead because of me?!" Tears started to fall freely as she looked at the robot. "Onee-chan and Kiku-chan has kept Kiseki secret from me for so long... They knew why we have to fight Nightshift this whole time while I didn't... What kind of sister am I if I just let them carry this kind of burden and pretend to be clueless about everything...? I know I'm broken... I know I'm sensitive to everything... But it's not fair...! It's not fair that I have to sit back and watch them get killed because of something I didn't know of until now...!"

Hiro hesitated at this before reaching out and resting his hands on her shoulders in comfort. "Just know it's for the best."

Tomoko opened her eyes as they turned violet before she forcefully brushed him off. "Don't say things like that!" she shouted before pushing past him and running out of the house.

"T-Tomoko-sama!" The two chased after her to find the girl jumping on her hoverboard and flying off. "Tomoko-sama!" Shichi looked over at Hiro. "H-Hiro! You should have handled that better!"

The robot silently cursed to himself, seeing how the girl suddenly took offense at his words.

* * *

Dorgon let out an amused hum as he watched the girl flee her home. "So she's finally come out of hiding. This should make things much easier." He walked away from the cauldron towards the exist, unknowing of someone watching him from the Shadows.

Harpy folded her arms as she walked over to the cauldron, her eyes letting out a menacing glow as she watched the live footage of Tomoko flying through the city. "So that's what he's been after. You sure have a lot of faith in him, Master. Allowing him to target her again." She traced a clawed finger over the rim of the cauldron as it bubbled. "It's probably better to be more patient about that one, Master. You saw what she did with Hakujouna." It bubbled again. "Okay, okay. I'll leave Dorgon alone this time. But don't blame me if anything happens to them."

* * *

Akane slid back after blocking a strike from Gorgon's tail, her breathing heavy from the fight. "Well she's definitely tougher than the other Ningengatas we've faced..." she muttered.

A screen popped up on her visor to show footage of Tomoko leaving the house. "Shit...!" She swung her Claws, forcing Gorgon back with large wisps of fire as she reached for her earpiece. "Hiro! I told you guys to keep her home!"

 _[S-sorry, Akane-sama! She just got really angry and got past us!]_ Shichi exclaimed.

"Ugh! After I even told her to stay home for her safety!" She cut off the call before charging at Gorgon, her claws striking the monster's tail. Thinking quickly, she swung her leg and kicked the elite's abdomen, knocking her back. She did a back flip and landed a good distance away.

Ryouta landed next to her, his spear in hand. "Something happened with Chibi?"

"Yeah. She got out of the house after I told her to stay put. Of all times to disobey orders, she chooses the one where her life is in danger."

"A-ah..." He quickly backed away when he found flames surrounding his leader's arms and legs to create claws. "A-Akane...?"

Akane stopped when she noticed the flames surrounding her. She shook it off. _"I have to cool down... Damn it... Why did it have to be today to strike...?"_ She took in a deep breath and exhaled, putting out the flames. "Ryouta. Get Shota and go after Tomoko. Protect her at all costs."

Ryouta looked at her before looking at Gorgon who was preparing another strike. "You sure you and Kiku can handle that thing alone?"

"Tomoko's our top priority. The two of you are still inexperienced to face someone like her."

The orange warrior hesitated at this but gave a nod. "Got it." He was about to fall back but they soon heard something. They turned to find Tomoko flying over the Teshitas as she reached for her Cuff.

 _Transform! Mouse!_

" _ **Doubutsu Henshin!**_ " Bright light surrounded her as she transformed. She jumped off her hoverboard and summoned her sword. "Stay away from Onee-chan!" she shouted before striking the ground with her weapon, creating large pillars of ice around the elite. More pillars shot up from the ground, destroying the Teshitas and Ooteshitas surrounding the team.

Kiku looked at the ice before looking over to her small sister. "Ji-nee..."

"Eh? Wasn't she just at home?" Shota asked.

Tomoko's breathing became heavy as she fell to one knee, her eyes giving out a pulsing blue glow from the use of her powers. She tightly held onto her weapon as her uniform disappeared and turned back into her casual clothes.

Akane looked at her sister before rushing forward and grabbing her by the shirt collar so they can face each other. "What were you thinking?!" she scowled," I told you to stay home! The enemy is after you right now and you can't just freaking jump into battle against someone like Gorgon!"

Tomoko pulled away at this. "And you expect me to stay home while you and Kiku-chan get yourselves killed?! I don't want that!"

"We are not-!"

"Yes, you are! You always are! Ever since Mama and Papa told you about Kiseki, you're always putting yourself into danger because of me! Mama and Papa died because of me and you know that! And here you are facing off someone as strong as Gorgon by yourselves expecting me to just sit by and let you die! How can I live with the idea that I was the reason our whole family is dead?!" Tears started to stream down her cheeks as she tightly held onto the ends of her skirt.

Akane looked at her sister, unsure how to respond to her sudden outburst. She reached out and gently rested her hands on the girl's shoulders. "We don't want to lose you again, Tomoko. Four years ago... you were so broken and we thought we would have lost you for good. We can't let that happen again now that they know who you are."

Tomoko shook her head at this. "You're just getting yourselves killed... I-I can't lose you..."

"You won't. I swear to you that we won't die. We just want you safe so you don't go through that torture again."

"I hate this..."

"I know..."

"Well, well, well. Who ever thought that the holder would be so fragile even after knowing the true extent of her powers?" a voice mused.

Akane's eyes glowed red for a moment and she turned to find Dorgon slowly approaching. The others soon rushed to their side, their weapons out ready to fight the elite. She felt Tomoko's hold on her arms tighten in fear and looked at her sisters to find her eyes letting put a pulsing orange and violet glow just from Dorgon's voice.

She gently cupped her sister's face. "Hey. Hey, look at me. Tomoko. Look at me. I'm right here. There's nothing to be scared about." She could feel her sisters shaking in her hold and started to panic. She heard a small alarm and looked at Tomoko's Cuff to find warning signals on the projected screen. "Oh my God..." She looked over at Dorgon and found Gorgon cutting apart the ice pillars to join her father.

"It took you long enough, Father," the gorgon said as she brushed some ice shards off her shoulders.

"I was just enjoying the view and wanted to see the best time to strike," Dorgon said with a shrug. "A shame the little princess is still as spineless as when the seal broke."

Tomoko's heavy became shakier than it already was and several warnings popped up in the teams' visors about her condition. The small girl shakily turned her head, only to find a red pair of eyes that has haunted her for four years.

"J-Ji-nee...?" Kiku became worried when she saw the panicked look in her sister's eyes.

"Get down..." Akane muttered, making her teammates look at her. "GET ON THE GROUND!" she ordered.

The three quickly did as told and covered their ears when they heard a loud scream. Akane found herself pushed back by a large pulse of energy but pushed herself off the ground with her hands so she could land on her feet.

"Nee-chan!" Kiku was about to get up to rush to her sister but stopped when the MoriRed held up her hand to stop her. Her eyes glowed yellow for a moment and she looked over at Tomoko who had a dark aura around her, her eyes glowing violet. "Ji...nee...?"

Tomoko looked at her younger sister, making the MoriYellow freeze at the bloodthirst in her sister's eyes. "It's best to listen to Onee-chan and stay down, Kiku-chan," she said playfully, her voice lower than usual. "Ryo-kun and Sho-kun, too."

The boys felt shivers run down their backs when the girl said their names. Tomoko simply smiled at them, a hint of malice in her eyes before she looked at the two elites, taking in their confusion and humor of her current state. "I suppose you're after little ol' me and Kiseki. Well. We can really settle this, but I wouldn't want my lovely sisters and their friends to get hurt in this battle. We can't have that. Tomoko-chan wouldn't forgive me if I hurt her cute little sisters again." Her eyes turned pink before the team found themselves teleported to Akane's side much to their shock and confusion. "Much better. Now we have all this room to fight. Who wants to go first? Or do you both want to go at the same time? Either way, I'll make sure your deaths will be extra painful after torturing my cute little self four years ago." She held out her right hand to the side before a scythe appeared in her hold. She held up her left hand. "I'll give you ten seconds to choose, okay? A little handicap for your first strike."

Dorgon let out an amused hum, curious about this sinister side of the holder. "Interesting."

Gorgon stepped forward as she faced her father. "Father. Perhaps I should fight her first. You may need to reserve your-" She stopped when she found the blade of the scythe at her neck.

"Heh~ So you're both going separately," Tomoko mused as she stood behind the elite. "That isn't fair, Dorgon. I was sure I wanted to fight you after all of the torment you gave to my precious self. But if you're going to let your precious little daughter go first, how about we make a deal? I spare your little snake and you leave Tomoko-chan and her teammates alone. No more fighting for Kiseki. Okay?" She brought the blade closer to Gorgon's neck. "Do we have a deal?"

Gorgon weakly reached out to her father. "F-Father... Please. We can get her another ti-" She winced when the blade started to draw blood.

"The deal means no more, little snake~" Tomoko teased, malice dripping from her voice. "If you break it, you die right here." She held up her free hand. "I'll give you five seconds to decide. Five..." She started to move the blade closer, not breaking eye contact with the Head General. "Four... Three... Two..."

Dorgon looked at the girl before letting out an amused chuckled. "Naive of you to think I'd ever give up on Kiseki," he said.

Tomoko seemed to have shown mock surprise and tiled her head playfully. "Hmm... Guess we don't have a deal then." She swiftly moved her weapon, cutting open Gorgon's throat and turning her into ash. "You really don't make these fights fun, Dorgon. I thought Head Generals are supposed to make things hard for us."

The team looked at the girl in shock, horrified that she easily took down an elite. "What the hell has gotten into her...?" Ryouta muttered. He heard soft growls and turned to find Akane glaring at her little sister.

Tomoko twirled her scythe before pointing it at Dorgon's neck. "If it was that easy to take down Gorgon, I wonder how easy it would be to cut off your head, Dorgon," she said playfully.

Dorgon brushed off the weapon, seeing how the girl was toying with him. "Perhaps I have underestimated you, holder. At least, this other side of you. But rest assured. I will get my hands on Kiseki." Dark energy swirled around him before he disappeared.

Tomoko couldn't help but to pout at his leave and let her scythe disappeared. She put her hands on her hips. "He really makes fights no fun. Well. Sucks for him. Tomoko-chan will always be sleeping whenever he shows his face to her. I'd watch your back, Dorgon~"

Her ears perked and she quickly side stepped to dodge a flaming claw being swiped at her. She jumped back to face her attacker. "Aw~ I thought we were going to wait a little longer for the fight, Onee-chan," she said with a teasing smirk.

The MoriRed was on all fours as her helmet disappeared. Flames formed wolf ears atop her head and surrounded her arms and legs as claws. Thick lines were on her cheeks resembling whiskers and flames dripped from her mouth like foam. She growled at the small girl who was unfazed.

"Aw~ Are you that happy to see me again, Onee-chan? I'm sure it's only been two months since we last saw each other. Did you want that rematch now? I'm sure it's probably better to get your temper down or you would really hurt Tomoko-chan in that state." She dodged another swing but found herself pinned to the ground by the older girl. "Ah. Guess you caught me."

" _Release her,_ " Akane growled, her voice warped as her teeth sharpened in anger.

"Right now? When her wonderful older sister is on top of her growling like a she-wolf? That would terrify her, wouldn't it?" she teased.

" _Release. Her_ ," she repeated much more angrily.

Tomoko could only innocently smile at her sister. "Okay. But before I do..." She raised her leg before kicking the MoriRed into the air. "I have to put down a misbehaving puppy." She opened up a familiar black case and took out three boxes. "Nappy time~" She threw the boxes at the MoriRed, creating large rings that held down her arms and legs. One wrapped around her neck as a collar that shocked her once it was secured, making her lose consciousness.

Tomoko caught her sister before placing her on the ground, gently petting her head. "Rest nicely, little puppy~" She stood up and looked over towards her teammates who grew stiff at her gaze. She looked at the case in her hands before tossing it to Ryouta. "Thanks for letting me borrow it, Ryo-kun. I'll repay you for it later, okay?"

Ryouta looked at the girl, unsure how she was able to get the case or even knew that he had it in the first place.

Tomoko took notice of his confusion and smiled. "That's a secret." She then looked over towards one of the buildings. "Satoshi-kun~ You can come out now~" she called.

The black warrior jumped out of the tree before landing a good distance away from the girl. He took off his helmet to look at her. "Who are you and how did you know it was me?" he questioned, his voice stern.

"Just a hunch~" Tomoko said. "But be happy Tomoko-chan doesn't know, or she would have screamed more than she did today." She walked over to the boy, only to have him step back when she was too close for comfort. She leaned forward. "Make sure she doesn't know until she's ready, okay? Take care of her if you don't want me showing up again. I hope we can talk again another time." She let her smile fade before she closed her eyes and collapse.

Satoshi quickly reached out to catch her. "Tomoko!" He heard her gaining consciousness and quickly put on his helmet, not wanting her to see his face.

Tomoko slowly opened her eyes to find herself in arms covered in black and dark grey latex. She looked up to find the black helmet. "Papa...?" Her vision blurred before she passed out.

"Ji-nee!" Kiku rushed over to her sister when she heard her voice, prompting the boys to follow her.

* * *

Hiro scratched his head as he looked over the report his assistants typed up when they were examining the fight. He looked over at the charts before his gaze went to Tomoko who was resting in a cot. He gently took hold of her Cuff to examine the sudden flux in her readings, only to be worried about how she reacted to the enemy.

His gaze then went to Kiku who was nervously pacing, trying to figure out what happened with both of her sisters at the scene. He reached out to her but stopped when she pulled away. Her gaze wandered before looking down. "S-sorry..."

"It's fine." He tapped an icon on his tablet before a chair popped out of the wall and rolled over to his niece. "Why don't you sit down? I have an idea on what happened."

Kiku looked at him before taking the seat, twiddling her thumbs from anxiousness. "So... What happened back there...? Why did Ji-nee suddenly turn into... whatever that was...? And why did Nee-chan lose control of her powers like that...?"

Hiro deeply inhaled before pulling up a projected screen with profiles on the two Ningengatas the team faced as well as the report from four years ago. "We've gathered information on the times Tomoko has released that kind of energy during your battles and it has now showed up four times. Three of them during your fights against Nightshift. You remember what happened when you faced Moakumu and he made all of her fears and nightmares surface, right?" The MoriYellow gave a small nod, remembering how her hold set her sister off.

"What set her off was the memory of her abduction and torture as she suffered from her usual nightmares that day. During your fight against Hakujouna, it was mostly triggered by the idea of losing those she holds dear. Having something real makes her more vulnerable to these occurrences as she feels more incapable of protecting and saving them.

"Today was more of a combination of the two. Seeing the person behind her abduction and torture in the flesh brought her into a sudden sense of panic and vulnerability against him. This side of her acts more of a defense mechanism against her fears as it shuts her off and brings out this other side that would take her place in the fight. Your father and I were researching about it while your mother was taking care of Tomoko during her recovery period. It's possible this is a part of Kiseki that no one knew about."

Kiku tried to process the information and folded her arms, looking at the floor in thought. "So the person she saw when I grabbed her... That was Dorgon...?"

"Most likely. The way your sister dealt with the trauma was replacing the fact that he was a monster with him as a human and later trying to find ways to forget it. Unfortunately, having you girls fight Nightshift probably made her memories resurface as they originally were and making her mentally vulnerable around them."

Kiku looked down at this, tears stinging her eyes. "To think it's been like this all along... Why didn't she tell us...?"

"Probably so you and Akane wouldn't worry. It's probably best that we hope that other side doesn't surface again. Akane loses control of her powers whenever she's around due to the incident that led to her scar."

"So... it _was_ Ji-nee that gave it to her... or this other side of her..."

Hiro gave a small nod at this to confirm the young girl's suspicions. "That's why we need you and Akane to wear those Limiters and have them updated whenever you can. We can't have you go on a rampage like what happened just now. We're lucky enough that the updates finished just as you kids brought her in."

Kiku let out a sigh. "Guess we have a lot to work on..." She let out an unamused laugh. "Our family is so messed up..." She looked up when she felt her uncle's hand on her head.

"I'm sure you girls will be okay. Your parents have faith in you."

The MoriYellow looked down as tears started to fall. "We really need them right now..."

* * *

Akane shot out of the cot as her breathing was heavy. Her hand went to her head as her eyes let out a pulsing glow. She looked at her hands to find the flames gone and her anklet secured on her ankle. She sighed before falling back onto the cot, an arm covering her eyes from the light.

"You okay, wolfie?" a familiar voice asked, making her tense.

She slowly moved her arms to she can peek at who's sitting next to her. A soft groan escaped from her throat before she let her arm fall to her side. "You shouldn't be here, Ttaru..."

"I know. But your uncle and Ryo-kun called me in case you needed to cool down." She scooted her chair closer. "Be happy the wolf is down right now. Ryo-kun said you went overboard."

"I know..." She looked up at the ceiling. "Ttaru... I don't even know how we can deal with the enemy now... My parents didn't tell me exactly what happened, but... the way Tomoko reacted when she saw Dorgon... It just feels like they did more than what I feared... I don't know what happened to her and I'm scared to know..."

Hotaru looked at her girlfriend before gently taking her hand. "I'm scared, too... Seeing how it got you riled up like that... But just know that no matter what, you'll have people with you on and off the battlefield to help you. You just need a little more time to heal."

"I know..." She looked at the idol before resting her hand on her girlfriend's cheek. Hotaru took hold of her hand and leaned in on the touch. "You do know that now that Tomoko knows... We'll have to be in Kyoto again during summer break."

"I know... Are you sure you don't want me around? I'll be lonely on our days off."

"It's just for your safety. I'm scared they'll target you and the others again. It's best to keep you safe and away from the battles. You guys know too much to get involved."

"Well just know that if you ever need some comfort, I'm just a call away." She stood up and gave Akane a small peck to the forehead. "Let me know if you need me by your side. I'll give you your space until you're ready."

Akane gave a small nod before the idol left. She sighed and looked up at the ceiling. _"Kyoto... Obaa-chan will surely give us an earful..."_

From outside the room, Hotaru leaned against the door with a sigh. Her hand went towards the left side of her abdomen, almost barely able to feel the bumps of the scars. "Take your time, wolfie... I'll always wait..." She pushed herself off the door before making her way down the hall, passing by the boys who were sitting at the front counter sipping their drinks in hopes of hearing news about the girls. They looked over when they saw the idol and Ryouta rushed to her side.

"How is she?" he asked.

"She's fine. Just needs some time to think since the past few days have been rough," she said with a weak smile. She looked over towards Satoshi who quickly avoided her gaze. "Takahashi-kun. It's best to be careful around them. Ken-papa would be angry is you made them sad."

The boy quickly nodded, knowing he doesn't want any of the girls to be angry at him. Hotaru nodded at his response before taking her leave.

The three sat there in silence, seeing how the entire Lab is tense from the fight. Shota looked over at Satoshi. "Takahashi-san... What will you do now that you're a member of the team?" he asked.

At this, the MoriBlack hesitated as he looked down at his drink. "It's best if I'm not an official part of the team just yet..." He sipped his drink, making the two worried.

* * *

 ** _A/N: And that was Chapter 14! So what did you think? No cliffhanger this time because there has been enough craziness._**

 ** _This chapter is actually much shorter than the previous, but only because the way I actually visualized the way Dorgon showed himself to the team was much different. I had to think over how to write out his introduction to the team while I was working on Chapter 13 and I feel like Tomoko's reaction would have been much more severe compared to how I originally imagined it given what happened in the past.  
And it pretty much raised a huge question: What the hell happened between her and Azuboido four years ago that traumatized her to such extremes?  
_** ** _I... will not disclose that because it's probably either a spoiler or the fact that I'd rather keep it open-ended because it's too horrible for any of the girls to reveal that kind of information out loud._**

 ** _As for this other side of Tomoko... There is just so much about her that will be discussed in later chapters. But so far, what do you think of her? Do you like how different she is compared to how Tomoko usually is? What do you expect of her later on in the series? I'm really curious about what my readers think because of how different those two sides of her are and what will be in store for them in future chapters._**

 ** _Next chapter will be held in Kyoto as we skip forward to summer vacation. There will be a lot of bonding time between the girls and the boys so look forward to that. Also look forward to another Mentor in the near future. Also: awesome grandparents return to give helpful advice to our young warriors._**

 ** _If you can, Read and Review! :D_**

 ** _So until then, じゃね～！_**


	15. Chapter 15

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Super Sentai or its characters. I only own my original characters and story._**

* * *

Soft footsteps padded through wooden floors of a large house in Kyoto, a lone figure rubbing her eyes after waking up in the middle of the night. She made her way to an old-fashioned kitchen and went to a cupboard to fetch out two mugs and filled them with water. She then took both of them by their handles and made her way down the hall towards the bedrooms, soft snores coming from a few of them. She entered the one that had her belongings and carefully kicked the back door open to allow herself to go out to the backyard.

When she stepped out, she found someone sitting out on the porch looking up at the night sky, her legs pulled close to her chest as one hand was fiddling with a gold locket. She sighed before making her way over to the small figure, setting down one of the mugs before sitting down.

"Can't sleep?" she asked before taking a sip of her drink.

Tomoko didn't turn to look at her sister but instead looked down, wrapping her arms around her legs. Kiku kicked her legs up and carefully grabbed her ankle with her free hand. "Ji-nee. Surely that battle bothered you enough for you to have nightmares inside Obaa-chan's barriers. Talk to me."

The small girl hesitated, reaching for her locket again. "I don't want to..."

"Why not?"

"I'll just remember more..."

Kiku looked at her, her eyes turning yellow for a moment. "Did you bring your book?"

Tomoko shook her head. "I'm scared I might see some of it..."

The MoriYellow slowly nodded, seeing how her sister would have to flip through her sketchbook to find a blank page. She scooted closer to her sister before leaning against her shoulder. "You know you can talk to me. You're always talking to Nee-chan about these problems."

"You won't understand..."

"Even if I won't, I can still lend an ear." Kiku stopped when she found her sister pulling her into a hug, soft sniffles coming from the smaller girl.

"It's too terrible, Kiku-chan... You can't know... You just can't..."

Kiku's eyes lowered at this, seeing how terrified her sister is of her past. She put down her mug before wrapping her arms around the MoriBlue in comfort.

* * *

Shota carefully fixed his t-shirt and ran his fingers through his hair to fix it, seeing how the team had a few outings planned during their summer vacation in Kyoto. He picked up his Cuff from his duffle before making his way to the main room where a few kurokos were setting up breakfast for the team as well as the girls' grandparents.

He felt someone bump into his shoulder and turned to find Ryouta rubbing his eyes. "N-Nii-san."

"Hm?" The college student looked at his brother, his eyes still adjusting to the morning. "Ah. Sho. Guess you're awake, too." He looked into the main room to find the others absent. "Hm? We're the first ones here?"

One of the kurokos went up to them before whispering into Ryouta's ear. "Takahashi ate early and is training out in the back? So what about the girls?" The kuroko whispered again. "Ah okay. Guess we'll wait for them and their grandparents, then." He stepped into the room before taking a seat at the brown cushion, knowing the kurokos color-coded their seats for meals. It was a bit more obvious since the girls had their favorite colors and their grandparents had gold cushions to mark their positions in the family.

Shota quickly followed his brother and took a seat as well, accepting the cup of tea a kuroko offered him. He took a sip before looking around. Seeing his chance, he looked at his brother. "Nii-san. Do you think the others will be okay?" he asked.

Ryouta looked up from the stew he was examining and placed the bowl back onto the tray. He softly hummed in thought. "I'm not sure, Sho. Things have been pretty tense ever since that fight with Gorgon and whatever happened with Chibi. Not to mention having Takahashi join the team even though he's not exactly welcomed by the girls."

The MoriGreen slowly nodded, seeing how there was a certain sense of unease between the girls after the fight. Akane spent more time in the Lab and Kiku told him that she's been eating dinner there rather than going home to join her sisters. Most likely a way to avoid putting the girls into danger from her sudden loss of control over her powers. The same could be said for Tomoko as she would go home right after school and miss kendo practice so she could stay in her room. One reason would be the fear of seeing the enemy again. The other was most likely because of Satoshi.

He thought back to when their new team member introduced himself to them in a disguise.

 ** _Flashback_**

 _Akane angrily folded her arms as the team was gathered in her father's lab, all five of them seated in chairs as their new member stood before them. Rather than being in his school uniform, Satoshi chose to be dressed in a grey hoodie and baggy jeans with white sneakers. What stuck out the most to the team was the mask that covered his face with feather-like designs and markings that resembled the visor on his helmet._

 _"Using a mask to hide his face? That's too cliché," Kiku muttered from her seat._

 _Hiro cleared his throat as he looked at his tablet. "Well. In order to protect his identity as Tomoko's Protector, it's best to find a way to hide his face so the enemy doesn't know who he is and target him as he has a direct link to her."_

 _"Protector?" Tomoko asked, receiving a nod._

 _"Someone who was chosen by the Spirits to protect you from those who would want to target you for Kiseki. He was there a few days ago when you all fought Gorgon."_

 _Tomoko thought back to the battle, remembering the faint image of her father's suit she saw before passing out. She looked at Satoshi, confusion evident. She stood up. "I... I need a moment..." She brushed past her uncle and Protector before leaving the room._

 _"J-Ji-nee!" Kiku quickly ran after her sister, seeing how Akane was hesitant to._

 _Ryouta looked between where the two girls left and Akane before letting out a sigh. He looked over towards Satoshi. "Dude. I thought you said you were going to lay low from them. Now you made Chibi cry and introduced yourself as her Protector."_

 _Satoshi hesitated before taking off his mask. "I just thought it'd be better to know I'd be around since you're all going to Kyoto during summer break. Having this mask on was better than nothing."_

 _"Doesn't really change anything. Not sure how a mask can even help you since all of us except Chibi knows it's you."_

 _"We designed it to block Tomoko's ability to read auras when the time comes for her to awaken that ability. Usually she can only detect the enemy's auras but with enough time, she'll find out about Takahashi's identity," Hiro explained," He requested for it to be made so it would be easier to keep an eye on her. We even applied a voice changer." He looked over towards Akane who was a little annoyed by the news. "Akane. Any thoughts?"_

 _The MoriRed looked at the two. "I said to stay away from her, Takahashi. Even with a disguise, you're giving away your identity as her Protector. But if you really want to do this, you're just a Protector. Nothing else. You're just going to be a stranger to her with that mask on and not develop a relationship with her. Got it?"_

 _Satoshi hesitated at this, angering the leader further. He tensed before giving a small nod. "G-got it…"_

 ** _End Flashback_**

"Takahashi-san sure has it rough… But where does that put us?"

Ryouta paused at this, unsure himself. "Official but unofficial?"

"Official," Hitomi chided as she stepped in with her husband. The brothers quickly stood up to greet the two. "You can sit. I suppose you must be worried about our granddaughters." They all took their seats.

"It's best not to worry so much," Koujiro said," Akane made the decision to keep you two on the team since you proved to be capable of assisting them. Takahashi-kun is different."

"Is it because he's using their parents' powers?" Ryouta asked, receiving nods.

"We will be discussing that at a later time. Right now, we want you to help us make those girls comfortable," Hitomi said sternly," They've been in a lot of shock and they need some help to cheer up."

"Y-yes, ma'am."

* * *

Tomoko looked at the wooden dolls on display as the team looked through a small shop. She picked one up to admire the carving and paint.

"Hm? That one caught your eye?" Koujiro asked as he walked up from behind his granddaughter.

"Ah. Ojii-chan." Tomoko put the doll down. "I just thought that we could bring something home. Chi-chan and Kyo-chan are working so they asked if we can bring some souvenirs."

"Ahh… Those friends you told us about over the phone." He looked at the dolls on display before picking up two of them. "How about these?"

Tomoko couldn't help but to smile, knowing her grandfather is an expert at woodcarving and is always willing to help. "Thank you, Ojii-chan."

Akane watched the two from the corner of her eye, a small cat sculpture in her hands. She jumped when a hand tapped her shoulder, making her turn to find her grandmother. "O-Obaa-chan…"

The Family Head softly smiled. "Akane. You've been letting your guard down lately."

"I-I just…"

"Akane."

She flinched at her grandmother's tone. Hitomi looked at the MoriRed before sighing. She looked at the various animals on display before taking hold of the cat she was holding. "You are always holding this or a swan whenever you're upset by something." She picked up a small wolf pup and another cat before making her way to the register.

"W-wait. I can-"

"It's a gift," Hitomi interjected," You've been staring at it for a while and I think your friend at home will like it." She paid for the items before guiding the fiery warrior out of the shop. "Why don't we get something to eat? We can wait for the others there." She saw the worried look in her granddaughter's eyes. "It's fine. Your grandfather may be old but he's still fit enough to protect your sister," she teased," We just have to hope he won't hurt his back just to swing a sword."

At this, Akane couldn't help but to choke back a laugh, seeing how the elder showed no hesitation in throwing jabs at her husband in an endearing way. Hitomi smiled at seeing her laughter and led her to a small outdoor eating area. "We have lots to talk about. I want to hear everything I missed about you girls."

* * *

Shota tilted his head as he looked at the hairclips, seeing how some of them were rather familiar to him. He picked one up to be in the shape of a cute bunny fitting for small children. He replaced it before finding a hair tie that had the same bunny in the center of a white chrysanthemum flower.

"Did anything catch your eye?" the shopkeeper asked as he walked up from behind the case.

"Ah. Y-yes." He held up the hair tie. "Is there any chance I can have this gift wrapped?"

The owner let out an amused hum as he took hold of it. "No problem." He took out a decorate bag and tissue paper to put the accessory in. "Who's the lucky girl, kid?"

At this, Shota blushed a deep red. "I-it's for a friend!" he said, his hands waving frantically. "Sh-she's just been feeling a little down lately and I just want to make her feel better!" He stopped when he heard the man laugh.

"No need to be so shy about it, kid. I was just teasing." He held out the bag before letting the MoriGreen pay. "Besides, I will say that those Tanaka girls are keepers. They can be so different from each other, but I know that a lot of them know how to treat their partners right." He pointed with his thumb towards Kiku who was looking at some flower arrangements across the street. "That one over there was a regular as a kid. She always liked our rabbits so I always make sure we have a new design for her whenever she visits. You're lucky that you found that one before she did."

"That would explain why a lot of them are so familiar..." he murmured to himself. "So is the Tanaka Family that well-known here?"

"They've lived in this area for generations. Everyone who comes through here would always see at least one of them running around. It was pretty surprising for us when we found out the eldest moved out years ago." His expression soon saddened. "Well. Not too long after that, they lost her for good." He turned his gaze over towards the large hill not too far from the shopping strip. "It pained us to see the looks on those girls' faces when they had to come back for the funeral."

Shota paused, realizing what he was referring to. He looked over towards the hill. "It is rather painful to go through events like that... But they always say it doesn't bother them..." He soon caught something at the corner of his eye to find Kiku leaving with a small bouquet. He followed her path to the large hill. "Ah." He looked at the owner to thank him before following the MoriYellow, a bit concerned about having her leave the group by herself.

* * *

"You do know you didn't have to follow me," Kiku chided as she filled up a wooden bucket with water. "Kyoto has a protective barrier that prevents Nightshift from attacking us." She stood up before going over to the large steps and making her way uphill. Shota quickly followed her.

"I-I know. I just didn't want you to go around alone. Your grandparents probably wouldn't want that, either..."

"It's fine. I already told them I was coming here."

Shota looked at the girl before picking up his stride to walk next to her. "Sh-shouldn't you wait to go with your sisters?"

"They're the ones most bothered by what happened. They need that picker-upper more than I do." She reached the top of the hill but trekked forward through the thicket of trees.

Shota, unsure where she was going, quickly followed. "Why are we going this far? The graves are back there."

"Not our family's."

The two reached a small clearing where they found a small shrine surrounded by rows of tombstones. Upon closer inspection, each of them were labelled with numbers as well as a pair of surnames, something not often seen in places like this.

Shota followed Kiku to one of them that held the number "18" and he noticed her parents' names inscribed at the bottom. He found the bouquet held out to him. "Hold on to this for me, okay?" she asked.

"S-sure." He carefully accepted the flowers, seeing how they were all a different variety of chrysanthemums.

"They were one of Kaa-chan's favorites," Kiku said as she gently poured water over the tombstone to clean it. "Tou-chan decided to name me after them so we know that I'm still loved."

Shota looked at the flowers, seeing how they all matched the girls in a sense. Minus Tomoko as there was purple rather than blue. "I heard that chrysanthemums can represent friendship. It's really fitting for you, Kiku-chan."

"Is that what you think?" She inspected the tombstone, making sure she didn't miss any spots. She set the bucket down before taking the bouquet. She set it in front of the grave and clapped her hands together for a small prayer. Shota quickly followed to show respect.

Kiku opened her eyes, her gaze solemn as she looked at her parents' names. "They can have a lot of meanings depending on who you ask. Tou-chan and Kaa-chan told me they came up with my name during National Chrysanthemum day. Something about a day of happiness. Kind of ironic since white ones can even represent sorrow and our family went through a lot."

"I never thought about it like that…"

"It's fine. It's not like we wanted you guys to know everything about us before you joined the team." She made her way to the small shrine, making her friend follow. "You see… I'm not a big fan of Kiseki."

"Eh?"

"Kiseki means 'Miracle' and apparently it can bring miracles if the one holding it trains hard enough. Kaguya-baachan might hate me for saying this but why would something be named after miracles if it brought nothing but pain to our family?"

Shota froze when he noticed how stern she was. "I'm… not sure…"

She let out a small laugh. "Right? It's probably some kind of messed up game where they push us until we reach a breaking point and give up before we clear the level. But I can't really blame Kaguya-baachan for that. It's not her fault these things are happening to us." She started to make her way back to the cemetery.

"Shota. Do you remember that training program I was in four years ago?"

"Y-yeah. You said something along the lines of staying at the DekaBase for a few weeks for additional training. Why?"

"It was just a cover-up for the incident."

At this, the boy stopped in his tracks. "E-eh?"

Kiku looked back at him. "Yeah. That was my reaction last year when I was told about everything.

"The day Ji-nee was taken… Hiro-jiisan called Hoji-sensei and asked if he could keep me at the Base for a few weeks until everything settled down. He told me it was this new training program for younger kids so I never asked about it. But the reason they kept me there was because Nee-chan and Ji-nee lost control of their powers on different days and they didn't want me near that.

"By the time I returned home, they said I can't train with Hoji-sensei anymore and would do it at home with Hiro. They told me not to bother my sisters, but I knew something must have happened. I didn't want to upset them so I let it go and did what I was told." She started to go down the steps, sometimes going two at a time.

"Nee-chan has a scar on her back. I saw it about a year after the incident. We found a new norm so it was easier to talk to each other compared to before. I asked about when she got it and why she never told me. She said something along the lines of an accident or just some issues with her personal training. She told me not to ask about it again so I decided not to.

"The first time I saw Ji-nee… I think it took her two years before I actually saw her with my own eyes… She was clinging onto Kaa-chan the whole time but cried when she was near the front door. It was as if she was afraid of going outside and always needed someone to hold on to to make sure she stays at home.

"It was a surprise, really. Not seeing her after two years. Nee-chan and I were so shocked that we wanted to hold her to make sure it was really her. Tou-chan had to stop us because suddenly touching her might set her off. I asked why but he said that Kaa-chan would tell me later when everyone is ready."

"When was that?" Shota asked.

Kiku landed on the last step as she spoke. "Two months before our parents left…" She let out a short laugh. "Funny, isn't it? Learning about all the messed up things that happened to Ji-nee, only to find our parents dead just a few months later.

"That was when I made my decision, Shota. I might have not known about Kiseki or the kinds of powers we truly have, but I decided to at least try to make things easier for my sisters. We're not normal. I've known that ever since I saw Ji-nee's eyes changing colors and the same happening to me and Nee-chan. But the least I could do is follow their game of trying to be normal and have them not worry about me so much so they can take care of themselves better. Everything changed when we were attacked by Nightshift a few months ago… Normal doesn't exist for us, anymore…" She gently eased herself onto a step, crossing her legs as she looked out towards the shopping district.

Shota looked at his friend before taking a seat next to her. "I guess that would explain why you didn't want me to fight… You didn't want me to go through the kind of pain your family went through…"

"That and because you were normal. You and Kimi-chan live lives that have nothing to do with powers or protecting this ancient artifact. Joining us in battle means you're just throwing it all away for something you shouldn't be involved in. Look at us. We're still in middle school yet here we are fighting monsters."

"That's true… You don't have control over when you can fight. I'm sure your parents wanted the seal to last longer so you would all be old enough to fight."

"Doesn't really change anything. They still kept all of this a secret from us… even though trying to make us feel normal creates the opposite effect…"

Shota let out a small hum before looking at the sky. "Normal… I remember something Nii-san said. 'Normal is boring'. That was what he said when he started to like Akane-san. He said there was something about her that wasn't normal and he liked it."

"Something every guy would say when they're trying to get a girl, Shota," she deadpanned.

"I know. But it's true. I know I might not be as skilled in combat as you are, but this has actually been the most fun I've had in a long time," he said with a smile. "I've learned so much about things we wouldn't have learned in books or school and I get to apply myself to it. I know it's dangerous, but the idea of learning to become stronger makes it fun in a way. Besides, I feel like it's more fun knowing I can fight by your side than not know what you're doing when we don't see each other outside of school. It's fun being with you." He looked at his friend, only to find her eyebrow raised and a teasing smirk replacing her solemn frown. He soon realized what he just said and turned beet red, falling back and waving his hands frantically. "I-I didn't mean it like that! I-I just-!" He stopped when he found the girl laughing.

She wiped away a stray tear from laughing so hard. "I was just teasing, you dummy. But thanks. I guess I really needed someone to talk to to let it all out. Nee-chan and Ji-nee don't really talk to me about it since they feel like I'm too young to understand. It feels better knowing I can talk to someone about all of this. A teammate since we're fighting together, I guess."

"Y-yeah…" He stopped and looked at the girl who was already making her way back. "W-wait! Did you really mean that?!" he asked as he chased after her. He heard a small laugh before finding the yellow warrior dashing off.

"Figure it out for yourself!" she called in a teasing tone before speeding off.

Shota stopped as his face turned into a nice shade of pink. "A teammate…" He reached into his pocket to take out the packaged hair tie, a smile on his face. He pumped his fists into the air. "SHE CALLED ME A TEAMMATE!" he cheered.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So that was Chapter 15.**_

 _ **I decided to keep the next few chapters short as it will be focusing on different parts of their stay in Kyoto for the summer. This chapter is considered Part 3.1 as the trip will take up to about 2-3 chapters when it comes to the girls recovering. This chapter was actually interesting to work on because you get to see Kiku's feelings about Kiseki and how she's dealt with it as a younger sibling. This also covers her current friendship with Shota and how they feel about each other. They're not going to be a couple. Nah. I'm trying really hard to make romance at the bottom of the priority list because we already have the AkanexHotaru arc lol  
**_

 _ **Next chapter will be about Akane and her talk with Hitomi. There will be moments between Tomoko and Satoshi but I will be discussing that at a later time. I just figured having Kiku first of the sisters would fit well due to how she's been mostly left alone while her sisters try to solve their problems and how helpless she feels.**_

 _ **Now for the Translations!  
"Kiku" actually does translate to "chrysanthemum". I decided to use this name for her because of how it has medicinal properties and is actually one of the most common teas I drank as a child (they sell them in boxes at Asian markets. Pretty sweet since they're for kids but you're welcome). The Chrysanthemum is also the Royal Family Seal which is a shout out to how they're kind of related to the Royal Family in the past since Kaguya's older sister took the throne (I know. Not realistic in feudal Japan but it's probably her spouse but she's more famous in family history so...). The National Chrysanthemum Day does exist in Japan and, even though Kiku wasn't born in September, I thought that the different meanings behind the flower does fit her.**_

 _ **So Read and Review? Please? TTwTT**_

 _ **But until next time, じゃね～！**_


	16. Chapter 16

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Super Sentai or its characters. I only own my original characters and story._**

* * *

Hitomi and Akane looked out towards the hill when they heard a loud cheer coming from it. "Sounds like a cub cheering in victory," Hitomi mused," I hope that doesn't scare off anyone since he's harmless."

"I wonder what got him riled up..."

"Well. That's probably just between him and the bunny he's friends with. We'll learn in due time. But right now, we have someone else to be concerned about." The Family Head took out the wolf figurine and placed it in front of her granddaughter. Akane looked at it before picking it up, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

"I guess I can't run away from you any longer, Obaa-chan..." she murmured before setting it back down.

"You can take your time. It's not like your aunts and uncles never had that kind of problem before. Even your own mother had trouble controlling her emotions since they're connected to her powers." She took out the two cat figurines, one of them was a calico and the other a Scottish fold. She placed the second one next to the wolf. "How is your friend? Hotaru-chan, right?"

"She's doing fine. She's been busy lately since she has a tour coming up."

"I know. Kaoru-chan has been updating me on her work since you two are so close. I'm surprised you didn't bring her just for a day. I thought she would have at least one day to relax in the middle of rehearsals so she wouldn't overwork herself." She found her granddaughter hesitating as she nervously stirred her drink with her straw. "Are you avoiding your girlfriend?"

Akane's face turned beet red and she looked at the Family Head. "She's not- We're not- I just-!"

Hitomi softly laughed at her reaction. "It's fine. We've grown to be more open about this sort of thing to make sure you girls feel more comfortable with yourselves. Kotoha-chan bought me a shirt from her solo concert and I just knew that the wolf on it was you. But don't worry. Ojii-chan and I will keep it secret. Fuku and Haku don't seem to mind, either."

Akane slunk back into her seat. "I... I see..." She tightly held onto her glass as she stared down at her drink. "Things have been a little tricky lately... Ever since I found out about Takahashi being chosen as Tomoko's Protector, I had her stay away just for her safety. I was afraid I was going to lose control of myself again so I didn't want her anywhere near me this time so I wouldn't make the same mistake..."

"Fear will always exist in a person's psyche. Even the strongest warriors are afraid of something. But if it ever reaches a tipping point-" she knocked over the wolf figure, "-there's always a form of collapse. Your collapse is when the flames within you can no longer tell the difference between right and wrong. They will attack anything that could stand in the way of their goal until something brings you back to your senses. Back then, it was the fact that you've hurt your best friend that brought you back so you wouldn't cause more harm to her. It was a good thing you stopped long enough for her to get medical attention."

"I know... That's why I kept training... So it wouldn't happen again... Yet even after all of that... I still lost myself..."

"It is not yourself that you should blame, Akane. You know that much. But if you want to make sure that you can protect everyone, you have to remember what you want to use your powers for. I'm sure you've heard it a lot from your parents and teachers, but it is something that can keep you grounded. Anger can blind people. You've seen it for yourself. But it's controlling that anger and making calm decisions that will lead you to your goal. You're an alpha, Akane. It's time to learn how to be one."

"I know…"

"So how has training progressed? I don't doubt that you've contacted your teachers since they have experience in this type of field."

"Shishou has been busy lately… It's mostly his brother or Ran-sensei helping me train so I guess it's going okay."

"Any plans on training during your stay here?"

"It depends… I know you have to talk to Tomoko about Kiseki… But the enemy has been pretty quiet lately so I probably should just in case they try to pull something on us again."

"I see." Hitomi smiled at the girl. "So why don't you all train here? Tomoko will be joining you once I get through her, but Ojii-chan would be plenty of help."

"Eh?" Akane's eyes turned red as she felt some kind of danger approaching. She quickly stood up to block a punch, only to find a masked man with a black gi. She tilted her head as her ears twitched upon inspecting the man.

A leg kicked one of hers off the ground, making her lose her balance for a moment but she quickly regained her footing to block a kick. "Obaa-chan! Get away from here!" she shouted before exchanging blows with the attacker.

"Canine Claw!" She summoned her claws before holding it against the man's neck, making him stop. "You're the last person I know that would cause a scene like this, Shishou," she said.

The man sighed before taking off his mask and ripping off his gi, revealing a blue SCRTC uniform. He smirked. "Good that you recognized me, Akane. But your way of ending the fight is a little sloppy."

"Anything to not get everyone caught by accident." She swiped her hand over her Cuff, making her claws disappear. "I'm guessing you weren't teaching extra classes this whole time."

"Hmm... You have the right idea, but not exactly on the nose," a figure said as she popped up behind the MoriRed and took hold of her shoulders. "We have a few classes here in Kyoto to teach. A special request by a certain aristocrat."

Akane looked at the young woman, recognizing the yellow uniform and ponytail. She let out a small groan before looking at her grandmother. "Both of them...?"

* * *

Harpy tapped her fingers against the edge of the cauldron, slightly bored of not attacking the city for so long. Dorgon acted unlike himself ever since the battle and went off on his own to train. Something about not making the same mistake of letting 'her' go. The feathered elite wasn't sure what his words meant but didn't pay any mind to it as long as he didn't bother her.

What bothered her more was that she wasn't allowed to attack the city now that their main target retreated into Kyoto. She wasn't sure why her Master and Dorgon were so fixed on getting their hands on Kiseki and not being allowed to cause distress to the populace bored her to no end.

She sighed. "That little brat should come back already. I want to have a taste of humans' despair soon..."

She spotted something at the corner of her eye and looked over towards Dorgon's chair, spotting the book he's been holding for a while. Curious, she picked it up and took a seat. Seeing how Dorgon is too busy to yell at her, she opened up the book to find information on the Tanaka family.

"So this is what he's been staring at." She flipped to the page holding the girls and their parents. She tilted her head as she looked between Tomoko and Sakura. "I don't know what that thing saw in her. She's nothing like the others. Too weak-minded." She looked through the photos of the girls before flipping the page where she saw the boys. "I don't understand why our Ningengatas have trouble when they're just children. If only I was appointed Head General. I would have squashed those children easily and have taken that thing for the Master and be done with it. Dorgon stalls too much and with every minute we wait, those children could get stronger."

She let out another deep sigh before aimlessly flipping through the book, unsure what kind of information she may find useful.

* * *

"Ah!" Shota found his arm twisted behind his back after being disarmed. "Give! I give!"

Retsu released him before picking up the boy's tonfas. "You're too stiff with them." He twirled the weapons by the handles to switch between grips. "Practice with this. You have to keep a good hol on them but not too tight to prevent them from spinning when you need them to."

"Y-yes, sir..." Shota looked at his weapons before twirling them, only for one to slip out of his hands.

Retsu quickly caught it before it could hit someone. "Try again."

From the other side of the backyard, Ryouta backed away in circles as he blocked Ran's attacks with her Long Baton. "You can't keep a defensive position the entire fight," the GekiYellow chided.

Ryouta nervously tilted his head. "I-I guess... But kind of hard when my opponent is a woman..." He was pushed back in the stomach by the Jyuken user.

"I appreciate you holding back, but what if a member of Nightshift was female? Would you still hold back then?"

"Good point..." He got to his feet while clutching his stomach.

"Good. Now charge at me with more heart in your attacks."

"Y-yes, ma'am."

Akane sighed as she leaned back on the porch, watching her teachers train their new members. "I still can't believe you called them out here..." she muttered, annoyed to see her teachers on vacation.

"We figured it wouldn't hurt," Koujiro said as he carved a piece of wood in his hands," You barely see them unless your sessions are by appointment. Besides, I'm sure you'd appreciate your new teammates having some more formal training. They're not that aware of their surroundings that well."

"Even then, I could have at least handled it at home. They have their own classes to take care of."

"Who knows? Maybe they'll have some new lessons for you during your stay here."

"Not too sure about that..."

"Akane." She looked over to find Retsu looking over towards her. Taking his signal, she jumped off the porch and walked over. She placed her right fist against her left palm before bowing to her Master. Retsu returned the greeting before looking at Shota. "Keep practicing. Ran will judge if you're ready to spar with your brother." He looked at Akane before nodding his head towards the thicket.

* * *

"Any reason for us to go through here?" Akane asked as the two reached the large tree, the blossoms already gone due to the summer heat.

"Can't really risk having you destroy anything with your fire, Akane," he teased before taking out a pair of nunchakus. He held them out to the girl who took hold of them. "Hope you're not lacking when it came to weapons training."

Akane noticed his gaze fell towards her anklet and rolled her eyes. "You really want me to take it off here?" She bent down to take off the Limiter and tossed it to her teacher. "You do know that if I lose control, it's your head."

"I was told it's used for emergencies. Surely having it off with a professional's supervision wouldn't be too much of a problem." He put it in his pocket before taking out his tonfas. "Just remember the basics and you should be fine for the time being."

"Fine." She took off her glasses before securing them onto the collar of her shirt, revealing her red irises. "But I'm not holding back." Flames surrounded her arms as she went into an offensive position.

* * *

Satoshi gently closed the door to the backyard, seeing how the others were busy with their current training. Fearing of what the Jyuken masters might have in store for him, he decided to check on Tomoko and Hitomi since they were taking their time with their talk.

He carefully fixed his mask over his face before making his way to his friend's room, knocking on the door before being allowed entrance. He slid open the door to find Hitomi sitting with Tomoko's head resting on her lap, fast asleep. He noticed the corners of the girl's eyes were red and stepped in. "Pardon me for the intrusion, Hitomi-san," he said before taking a seat.

"It's fine. She finally managed to calm down after I explained everything to her. She's having some trouble accepting the information."

"I-I see..." He carefully took off his mask, seeing how it's safe to have it off. Hitomi took the chance to study his features and smiled.

"It seems as though Fuku and Haku were right when they chose you. You sure look like a nice boy at first glance."

Satoshi couldn't help but to blush at the compliment and scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Th-thanks... I suppose..."

"So how does it feel? Using these new powers and protecting her? Surely it must be hard to adjust."

"Y-yeah... Well. I've been training on my own. The girls don't really seem to like my presence all that well. Even Tomoko has been weary whenever we see each other at school."

"Well it is their father they see under that mask. It will take some time before they can trust you with his position as Protector. Tomoko, especially." She gently combed her fingers through her granddaughter's hair. "She's a sweet girl. Always willing to trust others even if it hurts. But there are certain things that would make her weary of those around her. I'm sure she wants to trust you, but can't find herself to. This is something for you two to talk about to make sure you're both safe."

"I understand..." He put his hands on his knees before bowing his head. "Hitomi-san. Please trust Tomoko's safety with me. I will do my best to protect her and have her trust."

Hitomi looked at the boy before finding a silhouette of a younger Kenta around him. She let out a soft sigh and smiled at the memory. "Of course. Take good care of them, Satoshi-kun."

* * *

Kiku threw small towels over her teammates after they collapsed from exhaustion. "You guys okay?" she asked, squatting down to look at Shota.

"I don't know how you girls can live with this kind of training..." Ryouta said with heavy breathing. "Your teachers are really rough..."

"You'll get used to it after a while. We all started as little kids."

"But you all show promise. You just need to polish your skills more," Ran said. She ruffled Kiku's hair much to the younger girl's dismay. "Glad you're doing well, Kiku-chan. You've grown a lot since we last saw each other."

"Y-yeah..."

Shota got up into a sitting position as he held onto his tonfas, deep in thought. He looked up towards the veteran warrior. "Uzaki-san. Is there a specific reason for you and Fukami-san to accept Akane-senpai as your student?"

"Akane? Well that was more of Master Shafu's idea." She took a seat on the small boulder nearby.

"Master Shafu?"

"One of the Seven Masters of the Jyuken schools," Koujirou said," And a good acquaintance of the Tanaka family."

Ryouta fell over a bit at the connection. "The Tanaka Family's connections are too great..." he muttered, receiving a laugh from the elder.

"Well it's more of companionship. If one is in need of help, we exchange services. Don't you know how SCRTC was able to make equipment for their team?"

"It was more of a collaborative learning process, Koujirou-san," Ran corrected," But you're correct in a way. It was a promise between the Geki Jyuken school and the Tanaka family. Eh... I think it was Kasumi-san who was the first one in the Tanaka Family to learn Jyuken."

"Eh? Kasumi-obasan?" Kiku asked, recognizing the name.

Ran gave a small nod. "She learned under Master Shafu. Something about wanting to fight with more than weapons. In exchange, Kenta-san and Sakura-san assisted us with research for our weaponry to store and release Geki. It's a cycle so when Retsu and I became Masters and teachers at SCRTC, Retsu agreed to help with Akane's training."

"So... what about Kiseki?"

"Retsu learned about it when he was asked to teach your sister. Seeing how our two companies are connected and how important her training was, he accepted. He asked me to help since some of his skills might not be enough for her."

"I see... So it's a lot like our other teachers..."

Ran looked at the young girl, sensing some kind of doubt in her. She walked over and knelt down behind the MoriYellow before gently tugging on her cheeks. "It's best to cheer up, Kiku. It's best not to let that idea be the reason behind everything."

Kiku pulled away to look at the Jyuken user. "What else am I supposed to think...? No matter who we ask, the only possible connection between our family and every other person is because of that thing. Even having to drag people outside of our circles into this mess."

"Kiku..."

* * *

Akane slid back after blocking a kick from her teacher, her breathing heavy from the duel. Retsu clasped his tonfas to the belt loop on his pants and placed his hands on his hips. "Akane. You said you weren't going to hold back."

"I wasn't," she snapped.

"Usually you would have a higher stamina when it comes to these duels. And you never used your flames. You're using all of your energy to make sure you don't use them." He looked over at the nunchakus that were thrown to the side during the fight. "Even throwing away your weapon that would help give you an advantage." He walked over to the discarded weapon and picked it up, taking note of some scorch marks. "Your Technique is fine, but your Heart wavers. Something keeps clouding it and preventing you from reaching your potential." He walked over to his student and held out the weapon. "You still blame yourself for what happened four years ago. That's what's holding you back."

"It's not-"

"-not what I think? You've always been easy to read when you're distressed, Akane." He placed the weapon into his student's hands before going over to the bench and taking a seat, looking out into the forest. "Akane. Do you remember the first thing we told you when you first started your lessons?"

Akane looked at the nunchakus in her hands, tightly gripping the handles. "'Jyuken is kenpou that is obtained through a connection with beasts. Geki Jyuken is the Jyuken dependent on a just heart.'"

"Every Jyuken user is connected to a certain beast depending on the style they choose for themselves and what they do with it. Jan is the tiger, focusing on the strength of his body. Ran is the cheetah, focusing on her speed through wholehearted training. I'm the jaguar, focusing on technique and grace. And you?"

"The wolf."

"Depending on how you practice the Wolf Fist, you can find a way to master all three points of the triangle. The reason why your Geki was in the form of flames was because of how similar your wolf is to Geki. The difference is that Geki is always a part of you that is being released when properly using Jyuken. Your flames are something you learn to control and accept. You're having trouble accepting it after the incident.

"Nii-san told me. How you've been scheduling multiple training sessions ever since your sister found out about Kiseki. He and Ran noticed how you were mostly releasing your anger rather than actually training. Just like now, you were holding your flames back rather than actually using them during those sessions. It was like you were afraid of them." He looked at his student and noticed her back was turned and her grip on her weapon tightened. "I talked to your friend before I came here. She looked worried when I asked about you. It seems like you've been avoiding her so you wouldn't repeat the past."

"What choice do I have? She's not like me. She can't heal like I can. Having her around me is too dangerous."

"Around you or your wolf?"

"It doesn't matter..."

Retsu let out an amused hum before looking back at the forest. "You're confusing yourself, Akane. You want to keep her safe by separating yourself from her. But you're more terrified of your wolf so you consider it as a separate part of yourself that you would want to lock away. But your friend seems to think otherwise, 'wolfie'."

Akane turned to look at her teacher. "How did you-?!"

"It slipped when she was talking about you. But she does see you as one person, not as two. I'm surprised she noticed it before you did."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Accept that part of yourself, Akane. View your wolf as something not to control, but as an extension of yourself." He held up his tonfas. "Jyuken is fine with bare hands, but by extending ourselves with our weapons, we can become stronger. Those Claws you use when you fight were made to help you access the wolf inside of you and have a better grasp of your fire and strengthen it. Your father studied the GekiClaw that allows us to use and release KaGeki in order to understand how it can help you and your fire as a whole."

He stood up from his seat before walking up to his student, placing her anklet in her hands. "Think about it, okay? We'll continue your training sessions once you get home. You need time to accept your wolf." He gently patted her head before walking back to the mansion.

Akane tightly gripped the two items in her hands as tears started to fall, her teacher's voice echoing in her head.

* * *

Ran lifted her hand to deflect Ryouta's swing before grabbing his arm and making him turn around, forcing him to release his weapon. She used her free hand to grab the collar of his shirt and pushed him onto the ground.

"Give! I give!" he cried as he flailed his arm in defeat.

The GekiYellow let go and brushed off her hands before finding Retsu coming out of the thicket. "Ah. Retsu! How did your spar go?" she asked.

"The pup still needs to grow so we won't be seeing her until next week." He looked over towards the Ueno Brothers who were on the ground, exhausted from their training. "I see you didn't hold back while I was absent."

"At least they're better than when we first started. As for the bunny..." She looked over towards the porch, making her colleague follow her gaze to find Kiku napping on Kojirou's lap as the elder was reading a book. "She's needs time to accept almost as much as her big sister."

Retsu let out a sigh as he placed his hands on his hips. "Well they are still children. Having them dragged into adult business will take its toll on them so it's natural for them to act out." He walked up to the elder and gave a bow. "Thank you for inviting us over. I'm sure we have all learned something from today."

Kojirou could only smile at the two, seeing how they have also grown since the last time he's seen them years ago. "Thank you for coming all the way here to train them. I'm sure Akane would appreciate it later on since she's still growing as a warrior. Why don't you two stay for dinner? It's the least we could do for taking you away from your work."

The two shared knowing looks before smiling at the elder. "Thank you for the offer. We will gladly eat with you."

* * *

 _ **A/N: After WEEKS, I have**_ **finally _finished Chapter 16! I apologize for that because I've had quite a lot going on at the moment. First one was more of wavering interest and how to make this chapter make sense. I had to find a way to binge Gekiranger in order to get some of the characterization for Retsu and Ran down for this._**

 ** _I know there are some inconsistencies with Akane's talks with her grandmother and her teacher, but just know it's because they have different views on her since Hitomi is her grandmother and is also focused on duty while Retsu is her teacher and sees her as a student he must help. Akane's character arc will definitely extend to future chapters since it's a gradual process. Same with the others as there are a lot to go over when it comes to having six characters and how to develop them._**

 ** _Next chapter will focus specifically on Tomoko and Satoshi as it will actually discuss their relationship as Holder and Protector since we never really see them interact ever since he took the mantle of MoriBlack. I might bring back some more supporting characters as well as go over what happened four years ago from Tomoko's perspective._**

 ** _Until then, じゃね～！_**


	17. Chapter 17

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Super Sentai or its characters. I only own my original character and story.**_

* * *

Tomoko firmly held onto her shinai as she looked at the sparring dummy in front of her. She lifted her weapon in a fluid motion before striking the head, a crisp " _thwack!_ " coming from the contact.

"Just a few centimeters off," Hitomi said from the porch," But your swings have more power compared to the last time we saw you train."

"Try one more strike and we can take a break," Kojirou said," It's almost time for the harvest and I know you're just waiting for those strawberries." He started to chuckle to himself as his wife playfully elbowed his arm.

The MoriBlue stepped back before readying her weapon again, only to be knocked off her feet when a red-clad figure tackled her into a hug. "Tomoko! Glad you're back!" Kaoru said as she hugged her student.

"K-Kaoru-neechan..." Tomoko tried to get out of her teacher's hold but slouched when the former ShinkenRed nuzzled her head against the smaller girl's.

Messy footsteps were heard as the team ran out of the mansion. "How did she get here so fast?!" Ryouta exclaimed.

"Kaoru-nee! You're suffocating Ji-nee!" Kiku chided when she saw the 18th Head smothering her sister.

Kaoru didn't seem to pay any mind to the group and pulled away to tug on Tomoko's cheeks. "You should really work on detecting my presence. I thought you were doing better with that," she teased. She stopped when she felt the side of a hand hitting the top of her head.

"Kaoru. You just saw her a few months ago," Takeru chided," You've smothered her enough."

Kaoru turned to her adoptive son, her fan in hand and pointed at his face. "Tanba will be here any minute, Takeru. I already convinced him to stop with the formal entrance during these visits but he won't budge when it comes to my relationship with these girls. And I thought we discussed keeping our sibling bond away until after we introduce ourselves, son."

Takeru couldn't help but to roll his eyes at her behavior and lowered his head, scratching the back of his head while doing so. "Okay, okay. Just stop smothering her. Tanba will be extra annoying if he catches you."

Kojirou couldn't help but to laugh from his spot. "I see you aren't holding back, Kaoru-chan," he teased," I'm guessing Tanba really is following you during your visit."

"More or less," Kaoru said as she exchanged mock daggers with her son. "He's been more up my butt ever since I started talking to Umemori more frequently."

"Hime! Watch your mouth! Especially about that commoner!" a voice spat, making everyone tense. They all turned towards the door where they found the 18th Head's loyal aide.

Akane quickly took hold of Ryouta and Shota's shoulders before making them kneel. "Bear with it," she whispered. The two suddenly became nervous at her stern tone and quickly sat down, their hands on their laps as they became quiet. Akane and Kiku followed suit and sat next to their grandparents, leaving only the two Shiba Heads, Tomoko and Tanba standing.

The aide quickly made his way down to the yard, paying no heed to the glare his charge shot him. "I knew it was a mistake for letting you visit without my supervision, Hime! Even going out in such clothes!"

Kaoru furrowed her eyebrows and looked down to find herself in a white t-shirt under a red plaid vest. Despite the summer heat, she stayed with a pair of jeans and high-top red sneakers; the colors befitting of her role as ShinkenRed. She looked back at her aide. "I don't see much of a problem with this, Tanba. And I can't move that well in my yukata since I'm with the girls today."

"That's precisely the problem! You have been spending too much time with this family and they've made you rebel against the tradition of the Shiba Clan! You're the 18th Head of the Shiba Clan and you must act like it! Unlike these ruffians!"

Ryouta was about to get to his feet when Akane quickly held out her hand to stop him. He looked at his leader to find her shaking her head. He looked over towards Kojirou and Hitomi to find the two giving him an understanding nod. He sighed before retreating back to his seat, muttering to himself.

"Tanba! I thought I've made it clear that you are to treat the members of the Tanaka Clan with respect! Especially in their own home!" Kaoru snapped as she glared at the man. "They were kind enough to let us stay here while Takeru acted as my shadow so we must treat them with respect. The Shiba Clan and Tanaka Clan have worked together since the first ShinkenRed so we are to not view them as those higher or lower than us. Especially after they helped you raise and train me as a samurai."

"But Hime!"

"Tanba!"

"Here we go..." Kiku muttered as they watched the two's banter. Takeru took a seat next to her, his shoulders slouched in defeat. "Koto-nee's not here?"

"Visiting her parents with Takao. I don't want them anywhere near this," he said simply, waving his hand towards the two. He's already gotten used to it and learned to not interfere since his adoptive mother grew up in Tanba's care. The former ShinkenRed has changed a lot ever since they defeated the Gedoushu and her sudden change in attire at the Tanaka mansion was proof of her growing out of her shell around the family. Their last visit being an exception as it was Hitomi's birthday.

"You left Ji-nee in the middle of it," the MoriYellow quipped, seeing how her sister was frozen in her spot in fear of her teacher's aide.

"She has someone watching from the roof. Surely he'll help her."

"Not too sure about that..."

Tanba pointed at Tomoko, anger evident in his eyes. "It's clearly your fault! Dragging Hime into this Kiseki business and making you her student! I knew from the very beginning that we shouldn't have let someone like you be associated with the Shiba Clan!"

Tomoko tightly held onto her shinai as she slowly stepped away from the man, her eyes letting out an orange glow from his shouts and how he stepped towards her. Kaoru noticed the girl's distress and tossed her fan, hitting her aide at the back of his head. "Tanba! You have no right in blaming Tomoko for this. I agreed to train her as part of our loyalty the Tanaka Clan. Samurai or not, she is my student and her family are our comrades."

Tanba looked at his charge and walked up to her. "That is precisely the problem, Hime! These children are not samurai! I don't know what went on with the first ShinkenRed when he agreed to associating with the Tanaka Clan, but it should have ended once they ended that war their ancestor dragged your family into! They cause nothing but trouble as they have yet to end that war! Even having the 18th generation foolishly sacrificing their lives and throwing their duty to mere children!"

"Like hell am I going to let these girls take that!" Ryouta shouted as he got to his feet. Akane quickly reached out to grab him by the back of his shirt, knowing him acting out would worsen the problem.

There was a sudden breeze as a blade was held against Tanba's neck. They all looked at the attacker to find Satoshi, his eyes glowing grey from the holes on his mask. "Shit…" Akane muttered her breath.

"I thought it would be best to not worry too much and have Hime-sama handle it, but having you belittle Tomoko and her family crossed a line," he scowled, his buster sword firmly in his grasp.

Tanba turned to look at him before brushing away the weapon. "I thought I counted five instead of six. Pretty cowardly of a Protector to hide himself."

Satoshi' readied his weapon, angered by the insult. "Tsubasa! Stand down!" Akane ordered. She noticed he didn't seem to listen and her eyes turned red. "I said stand down!"

Satoshi looked at his leader before withdrawing his blade. Deciding to ignore the prideful look on Tanba's face, he looked over to Tomoko to check on her. "To-" He was cut off when she pushed past him and headed into the house, slamming the door behind her.

Takeru quirked an eyebrow at the sudden exchange before letting out a sigh. "Tanba. It's best if you head home. You've crossed a line so it's best to leave before you make it worse," he said before getting up from his seat. He went over to his mother before resting a hand on her head to cool her down. "We're going to find your student, Kaoru." He grabbed hold of her arm before dragging her to the porch and making her head inside. He was about to close the door when he looked out towards Tanba who moved to follow. "Tanba," he said sternly, making the aide stop in his tracks at his steely gaze.

* * *

Tomoko gently swung back and forth on the swing, keeping count of the sharp squeaks made as she moved, trying to make pictures from the gravel under her feet. Anything to keep her attention away from the tears falling from her cheeks.

A red and black handkerchief was held out to her, making her stop her swings and look up to find Takeru. She looked back at the small cut of cloth before accepting it, wiping away her tears. Takeru took the sign and situated himself on the swing next to her, resting his arms on his legs as he looked out towards the trees.

"I'm sorry..."

The ShinkenRed looked at the girl before reaching out and petting her head on comfort. "Nothing to apologize for, Tomoko."

"I got mad at him again..."

"He's only doing his job as your Protector. You know that."

"I know, but..."

"You still see him, don't you?"

Tomoko tightly gripped the metal chains, her head softly moving for a nod in understanding of his words. "I thought I would get used to it by now, but... I just can't..."

"I can see that your sisters can't, either. But you're more of a special case given what happened." He pulled away before looking at the sky. "It will take more than just a few weeks to accept him as a teammate, Tomoko. Even more so as your Protector and Kenta's successor."

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"Kaoru and I are proof of that. I couldn't accept the others as my vassals since I was a shadow. I started to grow fond of them as we continued to fight. But when Kaoru decided to step in as the true head, it was the others that couldn't accept her after fighting with me for so long. It's very similar to your case since you see the mask only as your father. It will take time to tell the difference between the two as you continue to fight."

"Take-niichan…"

Satoshi looked on from afar, unsure how to approach the two. A hand tapped his shoulder and he turned, only to find Kaoru who folded her arms. "Hime-sama..."

Kaoru quickly placed a finger in front of her lips with a quick "Shh". She looked at her adoptive son and student before nodding her head in the opposite direction. "Come on." She started to walk away.

Satoshi tilted his head in confusion before finding the 18th Shiba Head looking at him. With the raise of her eyebrow, the boy quickly followed. The two walked around the city for a bit before stopping at a bridge over a creek.

Kaoru rested her arms on the railing as she looked out, letting the breeze hit her face. "You shouldn't be too worried about her, Satoshi. Tomoko may look fragile, but she knows how to defend herself when it's necessary." She looked at the boy to find him staring. Catching on to the shocked look on his face, she smiled. "Akane told me about you using a fake name while acting as a Protector. Hitomi-san already told us your real name, but Akane wanted to make sure Tomoko doesn't know your true identity for her sake."

Satoshi looked at the red samurai before leaning against the fence and looking out into the streets. "I guess you're that close to the Family, then..."

"I was raised under their care. Our families have always assisted each other when we're in need of help. Hitomi-san and Kojirou-san helped Tanba raise me. But he doesn't know that I have another side of myself, one I only show to the girls when Tanba isn't present. He's serious about tradition and keeping face about our status as samurai so it conflicts with the other side."

"And training Tomoko was also part of that connection..." Satoshi said, receiving a nod.

"I was studying the Sealing Symbol when I accepted her as my student. I was still a teenager at the time, but I figured being with her and her sisters would help me have a better understanding of the world since I was forced to hide from it. Training with her allowed both of us to improve. Kenta-ojisan even helped me in some parts even though Tanba disapproved of him since he's not a samurai." She softly laughed at the memory of a practice spar with the former MoriBlack and how he did not hesitate to argue with Tanba about training.

"Kenta...? That was their father's name?" Satoshi asked, receiving a small nod.

"Like all partners of Fuku, he excelled in swordsmanship. He practiced kendo as a child and trained with my father when he was chosen to be Sakura-obasan's Protector. He was like a brother to everyone around him and protected everyone dear to him. He was chosen as Sakura-obasan's Protector, but he acted as a Protector to his whole family. Always made sure that his daughters went to good school and feel protected when he's around. Even willing to convince schools to do their best to keep them safe by collaborating and donating."

Her expression saddened as she folded her hands. "The day of the funeral... Takeru and I were angry that the rest of the family did nothing to help him and Sakura-obasan during the fight. Their own family turning the other cheek on the war... Hitomi-san told me it was Kenta-ojisan's orders. Staying with their own families and keeping them safe. He didn't want the burden that was forced onto the girls be forced onto his nieces and nephews. He wanted to give them a chance of a normal life since his daughters don't have a choice but to eventually be dragged into this war. He was just protecting them."

Satoshi looked at the princess and his gaze fell towards the creek. "I guess that's why they wouldn't accept me... I wouldn't have thought of things like that when I accepted Fuku and Haku's powers... I knew I was going to replace her father, but I wasn't aware of the actual impact it would have on the three of them..." He took off his mask to look at it. "I thought that hiding behind this would protect her from that pain... But I guess to them, it's more like I'm hiding behind their father and taking his name..." He tightly gripped the mask. "I just wanted to keep her safe..."

Kaoru looked over towards the MoriBlack. "It's best to tell her that. Tomoko is a little naïve, but only because she felt so lonely and wants to see the best in people. Maybe you should tell her how different you are and have some form of trust between the two of you. You can't protect her if she doesn't trust you."

"Will she…?"

"That, you will find out for yourself. But remember this, Satoshi. Even if you're protecting Tomoko, you still have to protect Akane and Kiku. Those three need someone to look after them even if they act like they don't. Okay?"

Satoshi looked at the samurai and noticed the concern she's had for her childhood friends all these years. His fists clenched before he placed the right one against his heart. "I will. I swear to you that I'll do my best to protect all of them." He placed his hands to his sides before giving a bow.

Kaoru couldn't help but to smile and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Takeru and I trust you to take care of them. Don't let them go." She let go before walking back to the two, wondering if they're done with their own talk.

Satoshi straightened himself before looking at his Cuff. He punched his left fist against his right palm before looking forward. "I can do this…"

* * *

Tomoko looked at the workbook in front of her as she did her homework, trying to calculate the answers. She heard the door to her room open and turned to find two small robots flying in and landing on her shoulders. She looked at the two and noticed they were just Fuku and Haku.

Small chirps came from her duffle bag and Chiyu popped out and scurried over to greet the two. She climbed onto the desk as the two landed before all three ran around in circles to play. Tomoko couldn't help but to smile at the sight and leaned against the desk to watch them.

There was a small knock on the door and she turned, only to find Satoshi leaning against the door frame just outside. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked.

"Tsubasa-san…" She turned to look away and shook her head. "I was just doing some homework…" She scooped up the two birds before letting them fly to their new owner. "I guess you were looking for them…"

Satoshi looked at the two robots on his shoulder before turning back to his friend. "They were just worried. Thought they would check on you since they've been asleep for so long." He stepped in and stopped when he saw the girl tense. He stepped back. "Mind if I come in?"

"I-it's fine…" She picked up her pencil before going back to work, only to find a problem she got stuck on. Her grip tightened, seeing how she missed a few classes after the Dorgon incident.

Sensing her unease, Satoshi slowly made his way in before taking a seat a good distance away. "Do you need any help?" he asked. He was met with silence before Tomoko held out her workbook, a pink tint in her cheeks as well as her eyes that were casted downwards in embarrassment.

"I… I've been getting stuck on these for a while… Onee-chan went over them before we came over, but I never had the chance to work on them…"

Satoshi took hold of the workbook to look over the assignment. Recognizing it from his own homework, he carefully made his way to the desk, situating himself on the side so he wouldn't get too close. He looked over the notes the girl wrote on the side before noticing a small mistake. "Ah." He pointed at the notes with the pencil. "You brought over this number twice so your mistake trailed through your steps." He held up the writing utensil so the girl could correct her mistake.

"Ah…" She looked at her answer. "So that's how it goes…" She looked at her previous questions. "It's the same here…" She turned to look at her Protector. "Th-thank you…"

Satoshi couldn't help but to sheepishly scratch his head at the thanks. "No problem. Practice makes everything easier. Just ask if you have any issues."

The two continued on, correcting and completing problems. Tomoko was almost finished with the final question when she glanced over towards the Protector. "Tsubasa-san… Why did you choose to be my Protector…?" she asked.

The boy was caught off guard by the question, seeing how it's the first time she's truly talked to him. He leaned back with his hands on the tatami before letting out a small sigh. "I'm not sure how to explain it, actually. But it felt like I was able to do more if I accepted to be a part of the team. I just didn't think it through when it came to the connection my powers have to your family."

"But you're protecting a stranger… Shouldn't you be worried about risking your life for someone you don't know?"

"Hmm…" He looked at the small robots resting on the desk. He carefully picked up Fuku. "I suppose I'm a little afraid. But I promised myself that I would become stronger to protect those I care for most. But it applies to the team, too, doesn't it? Even if you're at war with a common enemy, you're still fighting to protect people. Complete strangers even." He stopped when he noticed the conflicted look on his friend's face as she looked down at her workbook. "Tomoko?"

"'Doing things just because it's right'… Papa always told us that as we grew up…" she murmured. "He's always wanted us to do what we thought was right and learn to become stronger from it… But sometimes we wonder if it's really worth it…" She lifted the right side of her book and started to flip through the pages, revealing the sabotage inflicted by her classmates. "Being a Moriranger taught us how to protect people from being attacked by Nightshift… But sometimes those same people would be the ones that would hurt us outside of battle… We've always wondered if saving people is worth being tormented afterwards…"

 _You're a freak, Tanaka! Don't forget it!_

 _I still don't see a reason for you to support these children._

 _Unacceptable! Taking in the likes of her as your pupil! Especially at a young age, Hime!_

She looked over towards the remaining two robots. Both were fast asleep as Haku had a wing wrapped around Chiyu to keep her safe. "Four years ago… I was saved by a masked hero… I thought I was dreaming at first because I heard Papa's voice… Every time I blacked out from my fits, I always saw him. Telling me to grow stronger and learn how to forget the pain… He acted like Papa whenever I saw him so I wouldn't stop thinking about him whenever Papa talked to me. But when Mama and Papa left, so did the hero…"

"Tomoko…" He reached out to her but stopped when he saw tears. Seeing how fragile she was at the moment and how she views him as a stranger, he pulled away.

"We all learned that the hero was Papa when we started fighting… I learned that the people who kept us safe were both gone forever and I panicked… Everything I worked hard for started to disappear and became worse… All of those memories I locked away kept coming back I don't know how to stop them…"

Satohi's hands tightly clenched into fists, struggling to keep himself still as he watched his friend suffer. Sensing his inner struggle, Fuku gently pecked at his partner's face. Satoshi looked at him to find the robot looking down at his Cuff. He lifted his hand to look at the device. Determined, he lowered his head as if to bow to the girl.

"Forgive me for not taking your feelings into consideration, Tomoko. I accepted these powers for my own selfish reasons to keep you safe. I know I'm not like your father and your hero, but I know I won't be as good as them. I'll do my best to keep you safe and to keep you happy so you won't go through the same pain again. I promise you that."

Tomoko quickly shook her head and turned to look at the boy. "How can you say that so easily?! How can you say things like that when we've been through so much?!"

Satoshi tightly gripped his knees at this, fearing that he might make the situation worse. "The first time I saw you smile... It was so forced and you were always hiding behind it... But when I saw you smiling and laughing for the first time with your sisters, I knew I had to find a way to make sure you can smile like that every day... I know I won't be as good as your father. I know I won't be able to keep you safe like he did. But that's why I'm going to keep trying and make sure that you can see me as myself and feel safe when I'm with you. Please."

Tears started to fall freely as the MoriBlue looked down at the floor. "I... I don't know... I don't know if I can..."

Satoshi straightened himself to look at the girl. He looked at his Cuff again before twisting it, changing him into his Moriranger suit. He went up to one knee before taking hold of her shoulders. "If that's how you feel... I'll keep quiet. I'll keep quiet and if you ever need someone to talk to, tell me so you can see this."

Tomoko looked up at him to find his helmet. Being it the first time she ever saw it this close, she wasn't sure what to say and instead held onto the MoriBlack, soft sobs escaping her as she cried into his shoulder. "Papa... Papa..." she murmured between sobs.

Satohi's gaze lowered at her cries and gently wrapped his arms around her in comfort. _"I'll protect you, Tomoko... I promise... Just please learn to accept me..."_

* * *

Kaoru let out a soft sigh as she saw outside Tomoko's room. She took out her ShodoPhone when someone took a seat beside her. "That worried about my granddaughter?" Hitomi asked, making her turn. "You truly haven't changed, Kaoru-chan."

The former ShinkenRed let out a small laugh as she looked at her phone, showing a photo of her and the Tanaka sisters when they were younger. "It's natural to worry about her, Hitomi-san. She's been through more than what other girls her age have feared... The least I could do is stay on the side and come when she needs me."

"That's true."

"Do you think they'll be okay, Hitomi-san? Those two, especially."

"They are still young, but they've learned how to grow as both people and warriors. Having teammates like these boys could help them in what they didn't think were weaknesses. It's best to have faith in them as their battles continue." She slowly made her way to her feet, prompting Kaoru to follow and steady her. "Why don't we sit down and have this chat over some snacks? We can check on those two later once they're done."

Kaoru gave a small nod before helping the Family Head through the house.

* * *

 _ **A/N: And... that was Chapter 17.**_

 _ **This one took a lot longer than I hoped because I was really trying to figure out how to develop Kaoru's character when it came to the girls as well as how to handle the interactions between Tomoko and Satoshi. The first one is mostly because I've considered Kaoru to become more carefree after 10 years and being able to act a little more youthful with the girls compared to how she was in the series and guest appearances. QUestion how she would act when she's not being the 18th Head, so to speak. The second was more of how I wanted the two teenagers to react with each other when it came to certain situations and where they will go as Holder and Protector since we know Satoshi isn't completely accepted compared to Ryouta and Shota. Yeah, those three are definitely fighting hard to become fully immersed with the team.**_

 _ **Next Chapter will be part-filler and I feel like I need a boys-only chapter. Almost like those Girl Power episodes Sentai likes to throw in from time to time. I just hope I can put in a Monster-of-the-Day for this chapter because we need more action after three chapters without it.**_

 _ **Until next time, じゃね～！**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N: Four months, a ton of rewrites and editing later, I have finally... FINALLY made an update. I apologize for that. Things have been getting a little rough on my end. Went to Japan in March for about a week, had this giant block and had to get back into my art asap, and basically try to push aside my Mahou Shoujo series to the side as I try to finish this. But here's the 18th Chapter!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Super Sentai or its characters. I only own my original characters and story.**_

* * *

"Camping trip?" Tomoko asked as she helped Satoshi put away the kendo equipment.

"Y-yeah. I already told Shishou about it. My parents were a little insistent since we still have a few weeks left of summer," Satoshi said sheepishly. "Sorry about that, Tomoko."

The MoriBlue quickly shook her head. "Y-you don't need to apologize for that, Takahashi-kun. We only have practice once a week and my sisters want me home to stay safe. It's fine. Really." She offered him a reassuring smile but the boy couldn't help but to worry when he saw the girl forcing herself. He felt a small sting in his chest and looked at his friend, sensing some sort of unease from her.

He gently raised his hand before resting it on her head. "If you ever need anything, let me know. I promised to help you when I can, didn't I?"

"Y-yes, but... if the enemy attacks, I don't want you to be caught in this fight. I won't forgive myself if you get hurt like Chi-chan and Kyo-chan... Tsubasa-san, too..."

Satoshi froze at the mention of his other identity. "Tsubasa is probably doing his best to protect you. It's best to trust him."

"I know... But it just seems wrong..."

"Tomoko."

The two turned at the call to find Akane at the large sliding doors, her hoverboard behind her. Tomoko pulled away from the boy. "I should go... Have fun, okay? You don't want your parents to worry." She gave him another small smile before running over to her sister.

Satoshi watched the small girl, unsure how to keep up his secret any longer. His gaze went to Akane who shot him a small glare after gently guiding Tomoko in the direction of the locker rooms so she can change and they can head home.

* * *

Dorgon marked an "X" on a large tattered map with a quill. He rested the tip of the feather on his chin in thought as he studied the parchment.

"Has the Master requested a new location?" Harpy asked as she stepped forward.

"Yes, actually. After what happened a few years prior, the Master wants to be prepared before we set our sights on the Holder again. Now that a Protector is present just as we recovered our memories, it will be tricky to detain her."

"More like the last person you hired to scout a location didn't really put the process of extracting that rock into consideration," the blue elite chided before turning away. "Well. I might as well interview some of our soldiers to see if they will fare better with this. We don't want to make another mistake."

* * *

Ryouta looked at the map in his hands as he trekked through a forest, a large backpack strapped to him. He stopped to look around before hearing a small thud. He turned to find his brother on the ground trying to rest. "Sho. We still have ways to go." He walked over before taking out an aluminum bottle. "Here."

"Thanks." Shota took a sip of the water before looking around. "I wonder why Akane-san sent us here..."

"I guess she has plans for us." He helped his brother to his feet before looking around. "Problem is that this place is so big and it's hard to follow a map." He held up the map again to show the hand-painted trees. "Not sure how we can even follow this since it's drawn weirdly."

"It's a little strange for Akane-san to give us a hand-made map, though..." Shota murmured.

 ** _Flashback_**

 _Akane rested the map on the table, rolled up and tied with some twine. Ryouta picked it up and noticed the family seal made of wax. "What's this for?" he asked, opening it up._

 _"A gift from Obaa-chan. She said to pass it to you guys as a small gift."_

 _The three boys looked at their gift. "A map?" Satoshi asked._

 _"She didn't give me specifics, but she said that only the three of you are allowed to see and follow it. Consider it a chance for you to spend some of our remaining summer vacation to train there." She rested her hands on the table and leaned over to look at the boys, making them cautious. "Battles will begin to become more dangerous now that we're out of Kyoto's barriers. We need to be in top shape whenever we can so they won't sneak up on us."_

 _"What about-"_

 _"Tomoko will be under watch here in the Base." Akane took out a remote before projecting a screen of the simulation room, showing the three her sisters fighting holograms and robots for training. "Kiku and I will be escorting her to and from work and school, and we upgraded her Cuff to release a signal once her powers detect Azuboido. It'll send us and Hiro right over to make sure she's safe."_

 _"That's still too risky, Akane-san. What if it was Dorgon again?"_

 _"He's an idiot to think about showing his face to her after what happened last time," Akane said, recalling the words of her sister's other half. "Even if he does, he'll be too focused on her to think of Kiku and I as a threat. Just leave her to us."_

 _Sensing his leader's growing impatience towards the Protector, Ryouta stood up. "So when should we leave?" he asked, hoping to calm the two._

 ** _End Flashback_**

"Well. At least it's going to get that birdbrain out of Akane's sight."

"I heard that," Satoshi quipped from a tree branch. He jumped off to face the two.

"That was the point." Ryouta brushed past him before continuing his way, making his brother follow. "It's hint enough that Akane still doesn't want you as part of the team. Should take this as a chance of letting her cool down before you get too close to Chibi."

"I'd appreciate it if you don't call her that."

"Her parents didn't mind. She doesn't mind. If I have their permission, all is well." He looked around. "Now where can we find a giant rock with red moss…?"

"I'm just doing my job."

"And so are we. Akane gave us the order to train and that's what we're here for. Watching Chibi is in their hands while we catch up." He made a sharp turn.

"I still don't know if having just the three of them alone is safe. We're too far from them even with our boards."

"You worry too much."

"You're too lax."

Shota quickly stepped between the two. "It's best not to fight," he said, not wanting to see the two hurt each other. "We should try to focus on where we're going."

The two looked at their youngest comrade before glaring at each other. "Only because Sho is with us," Ryouta said before continuing his way.

The two followed him, not noticing a lone figure watching them from afar.

* * *

Akane carefully fixed her ponytail as she looked in the mirror after her training session. She looked over at the monitor where it showed her sisters doing homework in another room with Hiro watching over them.

"Heading out?" a voice asked, making her turn.

She sighed when she found her uncle. "Ttaru called. I figured I might as well see her after staying away for a few weeks. She says her days off are more limited with a summer concert coming up."

"So you want me to help watch your sisters until you get back?"

"If you can. I already told them to stay put just for safety measures." She slung her tote bag over her shoulder. "It's just a quick lunch and I'll be at her place for a bit to make up for lost time. I'll be back in time for us to get home for dinner."

"No problem." He watched his niece leave before remembering something. "Oh, and Akane?"

The MoriRed turned to look at him.

"That mission you sent the boys on. You sure they'll be fine on their own?"

Akane hesitated before looking at her uncle. "It's for training purposes. I already talked to the one in charge and he said that if any trouble comes to them, he'll make sure they can handle it and call us if it's too much."

"And Takahashi?"

"Tomoko is getting too close to him. Close enough to almost find out who Tsubasa really is and will get hurt. They need to keep their distance for a bit."

Hiro looked at his niece, seeing how she's always worried for her sisters' wellbeing ever since the incident. Knowing Tomoko, he's afraid she'll react as badly as the eldest sister fears. "Alright. I'll contact you if they do call."

"Thanks."

* * *

The boys reached a large clearing and looked around, taking in the warm summer breeze. Ryouta looked at the map again and tilted his head. "Guess this is it." He rolled it up before looking around again, taking in his surroundings.

"Why would Akane want to send us here?" Satoshi wondered as he looked around, only to find his teammates setting up their tent.

"Might as well set up shelter since it's already past noon. Sho. Mind getting some firewood?"

"Okay." Shota ran back into the thicket.

"Make sure to find your way back!" Ryouta called before hearing a positive response from his brother.

"You sure he'll be okay by himself?" Satoshi asked before taking out his own tent.

"He'll be fine. If anything, this could train him with communicating with plants. At least that's what Akane said when it came to his powers."

Satoshi let out a small hum in amusement, knowing there is still a lot they don't know about their powers. "So what about you?"

"Something about feeling the vibrations in the earth. Because Sho and I are bears, Akane said we'll develop some kind of enhanced strength and durability. Speed, too, maybe."

"So you two will be muscles for brains in a sense."

"I take great offense from that," Ryouta deadpanned, annoyed of the sudden jab.

"Payback for calling me birdbrain."

"Doesn't mean you should drag Sho into it."

Shota returned with some wood for their fire to find his teammates glaring at each other. He sighed before walking over to them. "I thought I said we shouldn't fi-!" He was cut short when a hand covered his mouth and a sword was held against his neck.

Hearing this, Ryouta and Satoshi looked over to find a man in a kabuki mask responsible. "Sho!" Ryouta took out his spear before going into a fighting stance, Satoshi following him. "Let him go!"

"Defeat me and I will release the boy," the man said, his voice warped behind his mask.

"You dirty bastard...!" Ryouta charged at him.

"Ryouta! Wait!" Satoshi chased after him.

The MoriOrange swung at the man who quickly sidestepped to dodge. "Your movements are too big!" He kicked the weapon onto the ground before swiftly turning it to Ryouta's stomach, knocking him back.

He turned when he found Satoshi over him and quickly removed the sword from Shota's neck to block him. The two clashed their weapons once the MoriBlack landed, trying to find openings. "You are overanalyzing your strikes." He shifted his left arm to move Shota in line of Satoshi's swing, making the high school student stop before the man's sword was pointed at his face. "You make yourself easy to read." He pulled away before releasing Shota. "And you. If those two were able to summon their weapons, you should have done the same in order to fight your way out of my hold once my sword was at a safe distance. You're too soft."

He twirled his sword before placing it into a resting position. "I can now see why the young Lady of the Tanaka family requested a teacher for the three of you. You still have much to learn."

"Young Lady...? You mean Akane-san?" Shota asked, receiving a nod.

The man removed his mask to reveal a lean yet fit man as his dark brown hair was cut short. "My name is Ryunosuke Ikenami. A samurai under the leadership of the Shiba Clan and in turn, the Tanaka family."

"'Shiba'? You mean that weird energetic girl that hugged Chibi and that tough looking guy with her?" Ryouta asked. He was soon hit on the forehead with the hilt of Ryunosuke's sword.

"You shall not address Hime or Tono in such manner! And you definitely shall not address one of the Young Ladies as a small person!" the samurai berated.

"Great... She gave us the crazy one..." Ryouta muttered as he clutched his forehead from the strike. "Damn, that hurts..."

"So the map Hitomi-san gave us was to lead to us to you," Satoshi said," And you were hired to train us in combat?"

"Exactly. As per Young Lady Akane's request, my lord had contacted me about training some new allies for the families. Because it was by his orders, I had to accept and I have no choice but to continue after seeing what just happened. I will not accept you three as members of the Tanaka Clan because that was a tragic display of abilities. I am glad Tono does not have to train you because that would be a waste of his time."

"You surely talk highly about your lord," Ryouta said as he stood up. "But how can you train us as a samurai? Shouldn't you train Chi- Tomoko because she has a sword?"

"That, is where your mistaken." He started to pace as he explained. "You see. I did offer to teach the Young Ladies of the Tanaka family after hearing it from my father that they were looking for a teacher for one of them. I was able to meet them in their home to see who would be my student and that was when I met Young Lady Tomoko."

"And?"

"I was rejected."

The three fell forward from the answer, taken aback by how proud the samurai was of his abilities at first.

"Apparently my dedication to was too much since she's sensitive. That, and I had to join Tono in battle against the Gedoushu. Thankfully, without us knowing of her identity, Hime took the role of her teacher. A good teacher, too, for someone of her age.

"But that is not our main concern. I was asked to be your teacher for many reasons." He raised his sword before pointing it at Satoshi. "I was made aware that you're the new Protector of the Tanaka Clan after Kenta-san. I was also informed that you have inherited both his and Sakura-san's powers and weapons. Those are two weapons you must master." He put down his sword before summoning his Water Arrow. "Samurais fight with more than just their swords. My family specializes in archery so teaching you would not be so difficult."

He looked over towards Ryouta. "We have a member of our team that uses a spear much like you do." He studied the college student. "Well. If I've heard right about you, your fighting style isn't so different than his. If your fighting style is just as unconventional as his, we would have no problems in refining it."

"But my style is more fitted for martial arts," Shota said worriedly," How can you help me learn to fight with my tonfas?"

"That will be a challenge but if both of us put in enough effort, we can find a way for you to combine both martial arts and swordsmanship into your style. A sword can be used for more than just striking your opponent. It can be used as a way of defending yourself. Much like how your weapon of chose can be used for offense and defense. And there is such thing as dual wielding when the situation calls for it."

Ryunosuke made his way to the center of the clearing. "I will be assessing the three of you individually to get a grasp of how much improvement you need. Lady Hitomi has told me that another team had their hand in training you in a similar manner. I want to see how each of you have improved." His weapon turned into his Shinkenmaru before shifting into an offensive stance. "Now. Charge at me with all of your strength."

The three looked at each other before Satoshi let out a sigh. "I guess we really have no choice then." He summoned his Feather Blade before charging.

* * *

Kiku rhythmically tapped her hands on the table after finishing a good portion of her summer homework for the day. She looked over towards Tomoko who was finishing up an essay in English. Curious, she leaned over the table to look. "Do they really make you write that much in high school?" she asked, making her smaller sister look up at her.

"It varies from schools. Mama and Papa had us apply here because we will be working for the company somehow. English is kind of required for overseas projects."

"Hmm..." Kiku noticed some flashcards on the size and took hold of it. "Can I see?"

"S-sure. Kyo-chan made those for me since I'm falling behind. She's better at it than Chi-chan and I." Tomoko went back to her essay, double-checking her spelling with the dictionary she had with her.

Kiku flipped through the cards. "Hard to believe we need to study so much. But I can see why. I guess I should study this more even for data analytics."

Tomoko looked at her sister, surprised of what she was hearing. "Kiku-chan. You've already decided?" she asked, seeing how the girl is still young.

Kiku pursed her lips as she began to play with the cards. "More or less. It's interesting. Trying to find ways on what to improve and know how trends change in terms of interests. What about you, Ji-nee? Surely you have an idea on what you want to do since you're in your second year."

Tomoko couldn't help but to hesitate at this, recalling how much of a shut-in she's been since her incident. "I'm not sure... I don't think I remember having a concrete idea since... you know..."

The MoriYellow looked at her sister, sensing uncertainty from the smaller girl. "S-sorry..."

"D-don't apologize, Kiku-chan. I just need a little more time to think. I'm happy you already know what you want to do, anyway. Mama and Papa would be happy to hear that." Tomoko softly smiled, hoping to ease her sister.

Sadly, it didn't help as the younger girl already knew how the girl forces herself. "If you say so."

* * *

Shota fell back onto the ground after being elbowed in the gut by the blue samurai.

"You hesitate whenever your weapons are close to making contact. Those create openings," Ryunosuke said as he brought the boy to his feet. "If I was a monster and this was a real battle, you'd be dead in an instant."

"S-sorry..."

"Can't be helped. Sho is a soft one," Ryouta said from the side after having his round.

"N-Nii-san... You didn't have to put it like that."

"Well it does help me figure out how to train the three of you," Ryunosuke said as he took a seat, folding his arms as if to think about his spars with each of the boys. "First off, you all clash with each other."

The three looked at him, confused by his statement. "Clash?" Satoshi asked.

"Yes. From what I have been told, the three of you have not fought alongside each other that often ever since you have joined the team. And from what I have gathered, you have never seemed to find ways to train with one another. It is obvious that it is difficult fighting together with three different weapons. Four if Satoshi learns how to fight with both of his weapons in the battlefield. But if you three learn how to cooperate with one another as a single unit, you can learn how to efficiently fight without having to crash into each other or go into friendly fire. But first, we must discuss your weaknesses individually.

"Satoshi. You're too stiff. You take your role as Protector too harshly. Even a small jab at the Young Lady as a friendly taunt set you off and created openings. You're highly skilled with your sword but you don't know how to empty your mind when it comes to critical points of battle. Being a meat shield to Tomoko won't be enough to protect her."

"But-"

"Even a samurai would let his Lord fight his battles," Ryunosuke interjected. "I've faced similar problems when I fought for Tono but learned quickly that we can fight efficiently without having too many sacrifices. Surely Tomoko wouldn't want to see you putting that kind of risk. Especially if she were to learn your true identity in the future."

Satoshi was about to argue his point but stopped, remembering the girl's words during their stay in Kyoto. He lowered into his seat at this.

Seeing how the boy wouldn't argue any further, the man turned to Ryouta. "Ryouta. Your swings are too wide. You have to learn how to control them in order to quickly change positions in case your opponent can block your first strike. You're also a little too reckless. I appreciate you using as much of this clearing as possible but just know that there are moments where you cannot move as freely and contain your attacks to focus on those in front of you. A worst case scenario would be someone taking hold of your weapon and using it against you. Swinging wildly could only get you so far."

"Any idea how that applies to our current situation?"

"You want to prove yourself as a fighter but you're being too showy. Your teammates want progress. If you want to show them that you are capable enough to be one of the more reliable, you have to show them you're serious and get the job done. You can show off sometimes but results are key. Think about speed and how you can hold your spear to maneuver through the enemy."

"Hmm... Makes sense."

Shota sheepishly hung his head. "I guess I'm left..." he said with a nervous laugh.

Ryunosuke looked at the youngest. "You have a lot to improve on as one of the least experienced, Shota. You're flexible since you're still small but it's more of being able to make your strikes land and not hesitate too often. Ask yourself this: who are you fighting for?"

"Who?" Shota thought for a moment, thinking back to when he was first told of becoming a Moriranger. His thoughts wandered to Kiku and his cheeks turned pink and looked away.

Ryunosuke couldn't help but to smile at his response. "I see. Well at least we know where your motivation is. But if you really want to improve, just know that your goal is to have her acknowledge you on equal footing. She's a tough one from what Tono has told me, but she does expect a lot from you."

Shota could only turn redder at this. "I-it's not like that, Ikenami-san!" He stopped when he heard his brother laughing.

"Even our new teacher figured it out!" the MoriOrange cackled as he fell over, tears in his eyes.

"N-Nii-san! It's really not what you think!"

Satoshi sighed. "You're such an open book, Shota. I'm surprised Kiku hasn't figured it out."

"E-eh?!"

Ryunosuke smiled at their banter, knowing quite well that their training will go on well.

* * *

Akane's Cuff rang as she cooked up dinner in the Tanaka household. She lowered the flame on the stove and checked to find an email from a "Blue Dragon". She opened it to find a selfie taken but the said samurai with her teammates sprawled out in the forest in exhaustion from training.

 _Day 1 Complete! I expect great progress for the rest of the week. I will contact you on the final day in terms of their improvement and future sessions. -Ryu_

The MoriRed couldn't help but to smile, seeing how her teammates seemed to be giving their all in their trip. She looked out the kitchen doorway towards the living room where her sisters napped, having also trained after finishing their homework.

"Everything seems to be working out just fine," she said to herself before going back to her cooking.

 _You sure about that?_

She tensed as she heard the voice, her ears appearing for a brief moment. She quickly turned to find a copy of Tomoko sitting at the dining room table, her chin on her palm as her elbow was pressed against the tabletop. Seeing the violet in her eyes and a hint of a blue streak in her hair, Akane's eyes widened at the sight of her.

The girl could only smile before disappearing, leaving no trace.

Akane tightly gripped the spatula in her hands as her eyes glowed red. "What the hell...?"

* * *

 _ **A/N: And how's that for a chapter?! ...I know. I'm sorry. I just struggled so hard with this one TTwTT**_

 _ **I've been working on the chapters for the girls more than I do for the guys so having the focus on them was a bit difficult. At first I wanted it to be this idea of them running into a monster and working things out on their own but I feel like it would work better in a later chapter. I also felt like they kind of do need some kind of a mentor since they're still new in terms of combat and combining their fighting styles. I mainly chose Ryunosuke because I thought it would funny to finally have all blue members of the three Mentor Teams but also because of how flexible he can be. I don't doubt he's tried to dual-wield his Shinkenmaru after seeing Takeru do it in the Shinkenger finale. (I also wanted to make him Tomoko's mentor because he's another blue... but at her age and his enthusiasm, it wouldn't work out. That and canonically, Mr. Brown is Ryunosuke's first student.)**_

 _ **For the next chapter, you can see where it's going. Given how we're about halfway through the series, we'll have to settle some things that have happened in the past. It will be tricky but this storyline is practically something that was originally just something I did on the side during Moriranger's original run but I later decided to incorporate. One of my favorite tropes but something that can help the team reach closure towards the end of the series.**_

 _ **(And for those thinking about the Shota/Kiku relationship, don't worry. It's just really slow due to their dynamic. It's just a cute friendship so far so don't worry about the romance lol)**_

 _ **But until next time, じゃね～！**_


	19. Chapter 19

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Super Sentai or its characters. I only own my original story and characters._**

* * *

Tomoko looked into her shoe locker and grimaced when she spotted a thumbtack in one of her white shoes. She carefully took it out before changing her shoes, seeing how she can't really waste time.

"Mou. How low can they go?" a voice pouted, making her look up.

"Chi-chan..." She stood up to face her friend who was holding the tack. "I-it's fine... I saw it before I got hurt..."

The idol couldn't help but to pout. "Tomo-chi. You know that's unacceptable even if you're aware of it. At least tell Sensei since we already warned them."

Tomoko tensed at this and quickly shook her head. "I-it's really fine, Chi-chan. We can't bother Sensei with something like this." She was soon poked at the forehead by her friend.

"You have to speak out more. Even if it's something as small as this, you can't just think it's normal like you have been doing the past eight years. We want you to stand up for yourself more."

"I-I know..."

Chiharu looked at her small friend, seeing how she's still in need of healing. She let out a small sigh. "Let's head to class. Kyoko should be there already since she's on morning duty." She held out her pinky for the girl to take before they headed to class.

"I'm surprised you still remember..."

This made the idol laugh. "Ho-nee told me that you still do it with Aka-nee sometimes. Besides. We were the ones that started it so of course I would remember." She puffed up her cheeks for a mock pout, making the MoriBlue giggle.

They reached the classroom but heard a loud slap from behind the door. Concerned, they quickly went inside to find Satoshi clutching his cheek as Kyoko faced him. "Kyoko!" Chiharu pulled away from Tomoko to go to her friend and groupmate.

The yellow idol glanced over towards her friend and noticed Tomoko in her peripherals. She pursed her lips before looking back at Satoshi. "Don't mess it up, Takahashi-kun. This is your first and last warning." She turned away before heading over to Tomoko and grabbing her wrist. "Come on." She led the girl to her desk.

"Kyo-chan... Did something happen?" Tomoko asked, worried of her friends fighting amongst each other.

"Not really. I'll tell you during lunch, okay?"

* * *

Harpy turned away from the cauldron when she heard footsteps behind her. Dorgon stepped in as he didn't take his eyes off of his book. "Hm? Got tired of waiting, Dorgon?" she asked with a slight tease in her voice.

"More of curiosity." He flipped the book over to show his comrade of the new edition.

Harpy took hold of the book to take a closer look. She noticed that on the page opposite of the boys that was once empty now had a profile. The photo was missing from the profile and most of the text consisted of question marks as if the person is unknown even to the all-knowing book.

"That shouldn't be possible. We were told both of the wind spirits were cooperating with the Protector. There shouldn't be one more," she said.

"That is the curious part, Harpy. But recall what happened when we sent Hakujouna to investigate the strange energy around the Holder. Also the time where we approached her once we remembered the truth of her abilities."

"So this is most likely this other personality that took down Gorgon?" She looked at the profile again. "Makes sense. She was able to easily take down Hakujouna and Gorgon. She's a higher threat than the Holder, herself."

"Perhaps I shall take a look. She has warned me how she would appear if I were to show myself to the little princess."

* * *

Akane poked at her lunch as she sat in the university's cafeteria, studying the tablet in her free hand. A hand reached out to swipe the portable tech, making her look up. Hotaru pouted at this.

"Akane. You've been off on a daze these past few weeks. Even cancelling our pre-semester date."

"S-sorry. A lot has been on my mind lately."

Hotaru let out a small hum in thought before looking at the tablet, only to be of graphs and photographs. She noticed the date on the windows before placing the tablet face down on the table. "Should have told me it was about your sisters. I'd understand if you needed more time to investigate."

"I didn't want to worry you and the others about this. Especially after the last time we saw her..."

This made the idol lean forward to look at her girlfriend. "Akane. The others and I promised to be there when you three need it. We can't fight but at least be there as emotional support. If you need us, just tell us. If you want us to stay away, tell us. We want to do what we can to help."

"I know... Just... I just don't want to make that same mistake again..." Her gaze fell towards Hotaru's scars hidden under her shirt. A hand reached over and cupped her face, making her look up towards her girlfriend's kind gaze.

"It's not your fault, wolfie. Just know that, okay?"

"You always say that..."

"Because it's true. You say the same to Tomoko, too, since she did the same to your shoulder."

Akane's gaze fell, trying to avoid the idol's gaze. "I saw her..."

Hotaru pulled away at this, surprised at how the MoriRed kept this information from her. "When?"

"The day the boys went off to train with a family friend. She didn't take over Tomoko. She just... appeared. Like some kind of ghost trying to haunt me."

Hotaru leaned forward to look at her girlfriend in the eyes. "Akane. Did she say anything? Did she try to provoke you into going crazy?"

Akane took in a shaky breath before shaking her head, seeing how the girl wasn't showing any form of malice or playfulness compared to their small scuffle. Her smile seemed more solemn just as she disappeared from the red warrior's view. "I don't think so. It was more of her questioning something. Like something bad will happen if we let our guard down. I just don't know what. I'm worried if something will happen to Tomoko again where history repeats itself or-or it happens to Kiku a-and she's still so young and-" She stopped when a pair of arms wrapped around her in comfort. Tears streamed down her face as Hotaru held her.

"Akane. I know you're worried about them. Try to not overthink it. It's your bad habit to when you're stressed about this kind of stuff." She pulled away before pulling a chair up to sit next to the girl. "Clear your head for a bit. We can head home and worry about classes next week if you're worried about this. You're putting a lot on yourself so it's best to rest when you can. Okay?"

"Ttaru..."

Hotaru softly smiled before holding her girlfriend's hands in comfort. "You're still in need of healing, wolfie. That's why I'm here. To help you feel better and solve any problems you have. Okay?"

Tears continued to fall before Akane pulled her childhood friend into a hug, quietly sobbing onto her shoulder. Hotaru gently squeezed her, letting her know that she'll have someone to go to when in need.

* * *

Satoshi leaned back on the bench as he sat in one of the empty courtyards for lunch. He let out a small sigh as a small breeze hit his face. He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his lap, his MoriRobos flying out of his pockets to enjoy the weather. He pursed his lips as he recalled what happened in the morning.

 ** _Flashback_**

 _"Tomoko told us she was training her powers," Kyoko said as she wrote the date on the chalkboard once the two finished preparing the room for the day. "She's learning how to defend herself and controlling these new powers she has."_

 _"Yeah. She's been improving on sparring practices. Akane-san and Kiku as well."_

 _Kyoko let out an amused hum before setting the piece of chalk onto its resting place, creating a firm 'clack' at the contact. "Do you spar with or without your mask,_ Tsubasa _?"_

 _Satoshi froze at the mention of his alter ego. "Ts-Tsubasa?"_

 _"Don't play dumb," Kyoko chided, making him tense up further. "You thought I wouldn't know about this, Takahashi-kun? Ooshi explained it to Chi and I during rehearsals. Chi saw your Cuff and knew it belonged to Ken-papa which brought up the topic." She leaned back against the wall next to the board to properly look at the boy. "I'm not as bothered as Tomoko and her sisters about you using their parents' powers. But I'm definitely more bothered by the fact you're hiding your own identity from her."_

 _This made Satoshi step back, slightly cowering at the steel gaze from the girl. He always knew Kyoko was the tougher one of the group, but having her be this serious scared him. Even Chiharu was gentler with this kind of confrontation unless truly angered._

 _He nervously swallowed. "Well... I didn't want to risk telling her. It's her parents' powers and I'm sure she'd rather have a stranger use it rather than her friend. Especially after what happened with that one monster."_

 _"So you'd rather lie and make Tomoko feel guilty of dragging a random person into the battle? What will happen if she finds out?"_

 _"S-she won't! I made sure she wouldn't."_

 _"She's training her powers. She'll find out sooner or later that you're in possession of her parents' Cuff. Not to mention putting yourself in danger without her knowing."_

 _"But I-!"_

 _"I know Chi and I shouldn't be saying things like this because of how we hid ourselves from her but this is a life or death situation, Takahashi-kun. What would happen if you lost your life in battle and she finds out you and Tsubasa are gone because of her and are the same person?"_

 _Satoshi stepped back at this, having not considered the possibility. "I-I won't die. I-"_

 _"Saying you won't die won't change the possibility. Ken-papa and Saku-mama said the same thing once... If she were to find out you, someone she thinks of as a close friend and someone sitting on the sides of the battle, was the one fighting for her sake and dying from that... She won't be the same. What she did when Chi and I got hurt will be nothing compared to the idea of you dying in front of her eyes and revealing your identity to her in such a way."_

 _"I can't turn away now, Kyoko. Not when we're all starting to use these powers."_

 _Kyoko's fists clenched at this before she pushed herself off the wall and stood in front of the boy, her head lowered to glare at him. "Then why accept the Cuff?"_

 _The MoriBlack hesitated at this before looking at the girl. "Because I like her."_

 ** _End Flashback_**

Satoshi reached for his cheek from the slap, now feeling guilty for telling the girl of such information.

"Were you really serious about that? 'Because I liked her'?" a voice asked, making him look up. He quickly stood up when he noticed it was Tomoko. Or at least her other side given how she was dressed in a white sleeveless button-up top tucked into a black A-line skirt rather than her school uniform. The most obvious giveaway being her violet eyes and the blue streak in her hair.

"You're...!" He reached for his Cuff in his pocket, only to have it missing.

"Looking for this?" the girl teased, twirling the item on her finger as her left eye was pink. "You really shouldn't reach for something that dangerous on school grounds, Satoshi-kun. Especially when there are others around."

The MoriBlack noticed her gaze shifted to the roof, making him tense as Tomoko would usually eat there with her friends nowadays. The girl gently tossed the transformation item into the air and catching it in her hand. "Don't worry. You'll have it back when we're done talking."

"What do you want? How are you even here?"

The girl could only pout at this. "I thought you were smarter than this, Satoshi-kun. You've seen Tomoko-chan train all this time so it's obvious her powers are strong enough to hold me together without her knowing."

"That's too risky! She's still getting used to it and having you here will make her collapse!"

"Appearing as a ghost doesn't seem to bother her. I've done it quite a few times. Even Onee-chan got quite a scare when she saw me."

"Akane-san did...?!" His lips twisted into a scowl at this. "Just why are you here?!"

The girl's eyes turned serious before she walked up to him, only for him to step back in caution. "Satoshi-kun. You're a smart boy. Surely having me appear means something, doesn't it? You saw what happened the last time I showed my face. Not to mention those spikes you should have felt if that bond you have with us isn't faulty."

Satoshi stopped at this and quickly stepped forward. "Dorgon will strike again?!" he asked.

Tomoko pushed him back, not welcoming of him invading her personal space. "That I don't know. But I know that if worse comes to worse, I might have to take over again to deal with the problem. But I'd consider taking Kyo-chan's warning to heart. Would you rather hurt her with the truth or lie to her until she finds out for herself by seeing your dead corpse? Consider that." She tossed his Cuff towards him, making him catch it.

He looked at his transformation Cuff, knowing there would be consequences now. "So... why would you tell me this?"

The girl's gaze fell towards the side as she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her skirt. "It's for her sake." And with that, she disappeared, leaving the boy alone.

* * *

"Come on~ Let's head to Stars today~" Kyoko whined as she clung onto Tomoko as the girl changed her shoes. "It's been a while since all three of us went to the shopping district~"

"Kyo-chan. You know I can't... I can't let you get caught in another fight again..." Tomoko said as she picked up her schoolbag. "Hiro-ojisan has been putting me on house arrest at home and the Lab because it's too dangerous... Even having to wait for Onee-chan to escort me."

"What about work? Ooshi worked hard to help you get that job!"

"I have a shift tomorrow. Onee-chan and Kiku-chan will be there to watch me."

"Kyoko. It's best to not be a baby," Chiharu chided," We can still have snacks with her at her parents' office."

"That's different~"

"Mou..."

The three made their way out of school. "If you want, we can make something together tonight at my house," Tomoko suggested," We still have Mama's recipes in the kitchen."

"Saku-mama's egg tart?!" Kyoko asked, her eyes glistening at the memory of the treat.

"We can make that one if you'd like."

"We'll pack an overnight bag!"

"Kyoko. We still have school tomorrow," Chiharu chided," And we can't bother them last minute on this."

Kyoko stopped when she noticed the small hint of worry in her friend's tone. "S-sorry…"

The worry seemed to have reached Tomoko as she slowed her pace to stop at the gates, her grip tightening on her bag. "I'm sorry… Causing that kind of trouble…" she murmured, making her friends look at her.

"Tomoko… We didn't mean it like that," Kyoko said, wanting to reassure the girl. "It's our fault for not being able to help you like Aka-nee. Besides, Chi's right. We might stay up too late and be too tired for school tomorrow. Maybe even work if Kawazo calls us in early." She rested a hand on Tomoko's head in comfort. "Don't blame yourself, okay?"

"But I-"

"Tomo-chi. We don't want to hear any buts from you," Chiharu said softly," Just know what everything we do for you is our own choice. Okay?"

Tomoko looked at her two friends, feeling guilty for allowing them to be back in her lives in the middle of her family's war. She lowered her gaze before giving a small nod. "Okay..."

Chiharu softly smiled before pulling her into a hug. "Just know that if you ever need us, we're a call away. Whether we come or not is our choice and we'll always say yes, okay?"

"O-okay... Just..." She tightly held onto her friend. "Don't get hurt... please..."

"We won't. We promise."

"Okay..."

Quick footsteps were heard as Kiku ran over with Ryouta and Shouta in tow. "Ji-nee!" she called, making the two pull away. The MoriYellow stopped in front of the three as her breathing was a little ragged, having sprinted just as school ended for her. "D-did you wait long...?" she asked between breaths.

"Kiku-chan... I'm fine. Chi-chan and Kyo-chan are with me. You didn't have to run."

"Mou! Nee-chan's at the Lab with Ho-nee so we're the only ones left to pick you up!"

"What about Tsubasa?" Kyoko asked, curious as to how the masked boy was absent.

"Training! Those two have been acting weird so I ran!" the MoriYellow as she puffed up her cheeks for a pout.

"K-Kiku-chan. It's best to calm down," Shota said, seeing how his friend is in a bit of a panic," All three of us are here to escort here so we should be fine."

"Best to leave it, Sho," Ryouta teased," Kiku's just learning how to be the responsible one for once."

"Shut it, Ryouta!" Kiku scowled, her eyes turning yellow behind her glasses. They all soon noticed sparks surrounding the MoriYellow as yellow energy gathered at the top of her head to form rabbit ears.

Seeing this, Tomoko quickly took hold of Kiku's shoulders. "Kiku-chan. We need to update your Limiters," she said worriedly. Her eyes turned pink behind her glasses and the younger girl started to feel herself calming down.

She looked at her older sister and started to feel guilty when she saw the worry in the MoriBlue's eyes. "S-sorry..."

Tomoko looked back at her friends who started to grow worried, seeing how it's the first time they saw Kiku acting in such a way. "I-I'm sorry... Th-this is why I don't want you involved in our fights... We're still learning."

The two took in deep breaths, calming themselves before they panic more than they already are. "Okay. But just call us if you need any support," Kyoko said," There might be some things you would want to tell us and not your teammates."

"Call us when you're about to go home," Chiharu said," We will be right over to help out."

"O-okay..."

The two took their leave, giving knowing glances to the boys as they passed them with a small wave. The boys waved at the two with relieved smiles, happy they're accepted as teammates. They looked back at the sisters before Ryouta rested his hands on their heads. "Okay. Let's head to the Lab. Can't really waste time and get caught in something," he said. "And uh... sorry for the tease, Kiku. Didn't think you'd react like that."

Kiku softly pouted and looked away. "It's fine. Let's just go so I can get that update." She linked her arm with Tomoko's before leading her away, making the boys follow close behind.

"Tomoko-san. What was that thing you did to make Kiku-chan calm down?" Shota asked.

"Hm? Nn... I guess it's part of my telepathy... I asked Obaa-chan and she says I'm able to control emotions." She stopped and quickly waved her arms in panic. "B-but I only use it in emergencies. I can't control my powers that well so I try to not use that kind of power unless I need to."

"I'm just glad it's in your hands, Chibi. It'd be scary to think that someone could have control over my emotions like that," Ryouta said with a shudder. "Especially those two..."

"Mah. It comes in handy like just now," Kiku sighed," Sorry for making you use it, Ji-nee. Guess we still have to train more if I can do something like that so easily..."

"Then that means the two of us will be training even harder to catch up..." Shota murmured, scared of what may come in their sessions.

Even after spending a whole week of combative training with their new teacher, the three boys were still having difficulty controlling their elements. Even if they were to make slight movement, the progress wasn't enough for their powers to lose control and require Limiters like the girls. Akane's anklet was upgraded to resemble her Cuff much like Kiku's first design and was even given a pair of headphones to act as a temporary collar when needed. Kiku's anklet was redesigned to look more like a thin charm anklet with several crystals infused with Spirit energy. Even though she was given weighted combat boots, the Lab designed a special pair of weighted soles to attach to various footwear.

Ryouta ruffled his brother's hair at this. "We're still rookies, Sho. We'll catch up to them in no time. Especially if you want to show off more."

At this, Shota pulled away, his face red. "N-Nii-san! It's not like that!" He tensed when he heard an amused hum from Kiku, only to find a devious smile on her face. "K-Kiku-chan! It's really not like that!"

"Oh really? Who's the lucky girl, Shota~?"

"K-Kiku-chan~"

They stopped when they heard a small laugh. They looked over to Tomoko who was covering her mouth as soft giggles escaped from her. Relieved, they all smiled at the sight. Kiku wrapped an arm around her sister. "Since you're in a good mood, let's head to the Lab and get something to eat. Baa-chan said she sent something over since we're all busy training. Knowing her and Jii-chan, we can't let it spoil!"

The four continued their way, happy to have some form of peace. They were about the cross an intersection when they all felt a strange pulse run through their bodies, their eyes changing color.

"What the hell...?"

Kiku felt Tomoko shaking in her hold and looked at her to find her eyes a mix of orange and violet as her breathing was ragged. "Ji-nee." She took hold of her shoulders to make the small girl face her. "Ji-nee. Look at me. Come on. There's nothing to be afraid of." She looked at the two boys who summoned their weapons upon seeing their comrade frightened. "We have to get her out of here."

"We're still a few blocks from the Lab," Shota said as he surveyed their surroundings, worried of who will strike.

"It doesn't matter as long as we get there. Ryouta."

The MoriOrange looked at his comrades before taking hold of Tomoko and picking her up bridal style. The three quickly ran across the street towards the Lab, hoping they can meet with Akane and Satoshi on their way.

Kiku's eyes turned yellow and she turned to find a sword being thrown in their direction. She summoned her bayonet and swung at the incoming weapon, knocking it away from the team. She scowled upon recognizing the weapon. "I knew it would be that bastard..."

"Such a foul mouth from a young one like you," Dorgon mused as he stepped forward, an army of Teshitas behind him. "Didn't your parents teach you manners? Just to expect from the rabbit warrior."

"Tch." A strange shiver went through Kiku's back and she glanced back towards Tomoko who was trembling in Ryouta's arms as the boy tried to keep her sight away from the elite. She could hear her sister's breathing becoming more irregular upon hearing Dorgon's voice. "Ji-nee..." She tightly gripped her weapon, worried of being unable to help her sister.

A hand rested on her shoulder and she turned to find Akane whose eyes were glowing red and wolf ears made of flames on her head. "Nee-chan?"

"Glad we got here on time," she said with a small smile before glaring at Dorgon. "We have a score to settle with this bastard." She reached for her Cuff.

 _Transform! Wolf!_

Kiku quickly followed, making Shota do the same.

 _Transform! Rabbit! Transform! Cub!_

" ** _Doubutsu Henshin!_** " The three transformed before going into formation.

A figure landed next to them to be Satoshi. "Sorry for the delay," he said.

"Ryouta. Watch Tomoko for us. Shota. Provide him backup since there's a lot of them," Akane ordered.

"Y-yes, ma'am!" Shota stepped back as they all readied their weapons.

Dorgon let out an amused hum before raising his hand. "Get them," he said, making the Teshitas charge.

Kiku shot at the Teshitas charging at her, bayonet in hand. She cut down the few that were able to get close before making a quick sprint and jumping off of one of them. She did a flip in mid-air to avoid the swords swinging at her, shooting those below her. She landed on another one before shooting down more.

Satoshi swung his sword, knocking a large amount of Teshitas away from him. He stuck his weapon into the ground before using it as a base to swing around, kicking those surrounding him. He landed on his feet and used his momentum to bring his sword up from the ground and swing down on the ones in front of him, destroying them in one strike.

This created a path for Akane to run through as she readied her Claws, flames surrounding her arms as she readied her first strike. Dorgon seemed to have anticipated his as he summoned another sword to block her attack. The two parried and their weapons locked.

"A little boring to have the Wolf fight me in this battle. I was hoping the little princess would," Dorgon mused.

"As if we're letting you lay a hand on her again." Akane kicked him back as lightning-charged bullets struck the Ningengata, making him fall back.

"Don't forget that a wolf has a pack," Kiku said, twirling her rifle before readying it.

Dorgon let out an amused hum before charging at the two, creating a three-way battle.

 _Transform! Bear!_

" _ **Doubutsu Henshin!**_ " Orange light surrounded Ryouta as he changed into his suit, swinging his spear at enemies that were getting close. "Sho! Help Takahashi clear the small ones!" he called.

Shota blocked a strike from a Teshita before kicking it away. "Eh? What about you?!"

"I'll be fine! The more there are, the higher chance they'll get Chibi!"

"O-okay!" He made a path for himself before engaging with the swarm, helping Satoshi for when his back was turned.

Ryouta let out a sigh before looking down at Tomoko who was shaking in his hold. He quickly turned to block a Teshita before cutting it down. "There's too many..."

He carefully pulled away from the girl, holding her by the shoulders to make sure she wouldn't see Dorgon. "Chibi. You have to get out of here. Use your board once we create an opening."

"Leave...?"

 _Just wait right here and we'll be back, okay?_

 _Mama and Papa will always be here with you. We promise._

Tomoko shook her head as she tightly held onto his arms. "N-no! I can't leave you to him!"

"You're in danger! There's no choice!"

"You can't fight! Y-you can't!"

"Chibi!" He pulled her close to block a Teshita. He struck it down before fighting off more of them. "Just run!"

Tomoko shook in her spot as the battle continued, her eyes changing between orange, violet and blue. _"No... Don't fight..."_

 _Tomoko!_

 _We don't want to hurt you!_

 _"Don't fight..."_

 _We won't let you get your hands on her again!_

 _Such pitiful fools._

 _"Don't fight..."_

 _Akane... Tomoko... Kiku... We're sorry..._

"DON'T FIGHT!" she screamed, her eyes glowing violet. A dark pulse came from her body, destroying the Teshitas and knocking Dorgon away from her sisters.

The two looked back to find their small sister hunched forward, her hand gripping her head as her breathing was heavy. "Tomoko..." "Ji-nee..."

"Tch. You really set her off this time, Dorgon," the MoriBlue scowled as she straightened herself and lowered her arm, revealing her violet irises. A blue streak appeared in her hair as she summoned her scythe.

The team quickly readied their weapons, unsure what the girl would do now that her other side has control. Tomoko noticed this and rolled her eyes. "You're aiming at the wrong person. But I'm only here to take care of things while Tomoko rests her fragile little heart." Her gaze went to Dorgon who was now at his feet, watching her in amusement. "I believe we have a score to settle, Dorgon. This is the second time you've shown your ugly face to me. I've warned you. Try to touch Tomoko and I'll be right here."

"Surprising how the little princess has this side of her unchained," the elite mused," I'm more concerned of how much of a threat you are in comparison to your fellow clan members." He readied his sword before charging.

"So that's how it is." She raised her weapon and blocked his strike with ease. She glanced over towards her sisters and noticed their powers growing a little out of control at her presence. "It's best if you all stay away for a bit. It might get a little messy and Tomoko wouldn't want to see you hurt because of collateral damage." Her left eye turned pink before a wall of pink energy separated her teammates from the fight.

"Tomoko!" Satoshi ran to the girl but the barrier released large sparks when he got close, making him stumble back. "Tomoko!"

Tomoko seemed to have ignored his calls as she pushed Dorgon away. She stretched her shoulders a little before letting out a content sigh. "I'm just grateful she was able to train her powers more. Gives me a little more time out here before her body passes out." She twisted the top half of her Cuff, turning it purple in color.

 _Transform! Mouse!_

" ** _Doubutsu Henshin._** " She released the Cuff, allowing her suit to materialize except for her helmet. The suit was the same as her usual but in two shades of purple to match this side of her. The white on her gloves and boots were instead black in color as well as the trimming on her chest guard and her belt.

She twirled her scythe in her hands before placing it into an offensive position. "Shall we begin, Dorgon? This could be your first or last fight with me."

* * *

 ** _A/N: I did it again~ Having a whole month of trying to figure out how this chapter would play out. But what do you all think? This chapter took a lot of rewriting due to figuring out how to go about this moment when it comes to the story arc. I remember one of you suggested a purple ranger in the AkanexHotaru episode, but I was saving it for this._**

 ** _Still a lot of stuff to cover so the chapters will be in and out depending on how I write the next chapter. I think I will finally explain this other side of Tomoko and how she came to be as well as how the team would take it given her relationship with Tomoko. I will also try to flesh out the incident that happened four years prior to the series due to the connections so look forward to it!_**

 ** _Until then, じゃね～！_**


	20. Chapter 20

**_A/N: Hello, readers! Just letting you know that we are about halfway through the series! *small round of applause* Thank you again for supporting "Doubutsu Sentai Moriranger" for the past year and let's look forward to the second half!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Super Sentai or its characters. I only own my original characters and stories._**

* * *

Dorgon let out an amused hum as he looked at the girl. "So you've gained more control over your powers. This will make an interesting fight."

"It will be interesting if you can even land a hit on me, Dorgon."

"I accept your challenge." The Head General readied his sword before charging at the girl, making the weapons clash. "Believe me. This won't be the same as when you took out Gorgon."

"We'll see about that."

The rest of the team couldn't help but to stand and watch, unsure how they can get through the barrier the girl has set up. "To think she'd show up again... I even made sure she wouldn't see him...!" Ryouta muttered, slamming his spear against the ground.

Akane didn't say anything and held up her Cuff. "Hiro-oji... Check Tomoko's readings again. Find out when it started to get to that point."

 _[Copy that. Need any backup?]_

"We should be fine. Her body can't hold up what she's doing for too long." She hung up before taking in a deep breath, making her flames disappear. "Kiku. Get ready to catch her when the barrier is down."

"Nee-chan?"

"Just do it. We don't know when she'll pass out."

Ryouta took hold of his teammate's shoulder, ignoring the burning heat from the contact. "Akane. Don't do anything reckless," he warned.

"I'll be fine."

* * *

Tomoko dodged a swing from Dorgon's sword, jumping back to regain her footing. "So you've trained. Didn't expect that since you always put yourself on a pedestal," she mused.

"Considering you were able to defeat two of out members in an instant, it's best not to risk it. But you've made many openings that were narrowly dodged just now. Your stamina is going down the more you strain yourself. You'll probably pass out in just a few minutes. More than enough time for me to stall."

The girl could only smirk as her eyes let out a menacing glow. "Is that what you think?"

"Hm?" Dorgon froze as multiple cuts appeared on his body, a large gash on his stomach. He stumbled back and clutched it to stop the bleeding. "What in the…?"

"That's quite a bad habit to have, Dorgon. Underestimating your enemy just because she's not as trained as the others. Well. It's not so different compared to your first fight against Kiseki, is it? I heard that Kaguya-obaasama really gave you a beating."

Dorgon scowled as he stepped back, angered to have the girl mock him of his first taste of defeat. "Don't think you have the upper hand, Holder. I guarantee you that taking me lightly would bring you to your end the next time we meet." Dark energy swirled around him before he disappeared.

Tomoko looked at the spot in front of her before letting out a sigh once the dark aura was gone. "He really must be an idiot... Thinking he'll have the upper hand over her again..." She let her weapon and barrier disappear before turning to her teammates who quickly held up their weapons. "Relax. I'm not going to hurt anyone."

She let her transformation disperse. Rather than her school uniform, she was changed into a different outfit consisting of a black, sleeveless zip-up hoodie over a violet and white striped t-shirt accompanied by a black A-line skirt. Her feet were covered by black knee-length lace-up boots to match the leather bracelet on her left wrist. Even though it was still warm, she wore a dark grey slouch beanie on her head.

"Glad those Limiters are holding back your wolf side, Onee-chan. Makes things easier without scaring Tomoko. But call me Mitsuki. You can call me the other half of Tomoko's soul." She noticed the confusion from her teammates. "Mah… This will definitely take a longer explanation, but we need to get out of here to make it easier. So I just need you to catch me." Her eyes turned yellow as she appeared in front of Shota at blinding speed. "Ne?"

Shota stumbled back upon seeing the girl, surprised to have her be so close in such a short amount of time. Mitsuki offered an innocent smile as if to try and calm the boy. "Shota-kun. Just catch me when we get there."

"H-heh?"

Mitsuki's eyes turned pink before the team found themselves in the Lab's Simulation Room. "Wh-what the-?!" Ryouta looked around in panic.

"It's fine. Just a bit of teleporting... The Lab isn't too far..." Mitsuki's eyes slowly closed before she passed out, falling into Shota's arms.

"T-Tomoko-san?!"

* * *

Dorgon limped to his seat, ignoring the gaze Harpy shot him before taking his seat.

"Guess that girl will be an even bigger threat than you thought," the blue elite mused, having seen the fight.

"Be quiet, Harpy. I've just underestimated her abilities for a moment... I let my guard down..."

"So what will you do now? You know you cannot face the Holder without that other side showing herself."

"Let me think, Harpy. A good General must plan before his next strike."

"If you say so."

* * *

Hiro scratched his head as he looked over the graphs. "Her readings are back to normal. I'm just surprised she was able to use a power like that. She might have to rest longer than previous times to defy laws of nature like that."

"Just to expect from that thing," Akane said with an annoyed sigh. "Going to have to call Stars to move her shift again if she's going to be resting."

"Sorry, sorry," Mitsuki teased as she appeared as a spirit.

Everyone aside from Akane and Satoshi quickly backed away when they saw the girl. "What the hell?!" Kiku exclaimed.

Mitsuki couldn't help but to laugh. "You looked so scared~ I'd never thought I'd see you guys so terrified like that!" She wiped away a stray tear before looking at her teammates. "Don't worry too much. I can appear like this without putting stress on Tomoko."

"That doesn't seem too reassuring..."

"I can't even make you believe me, Kiku-chan~ If Tomoko's not awake when I'm like this, I can't use Kiseki's powers to change your mind~"

In an instant, Mitsuki was pinned to the wall by her neck, creating a large dent. The smile didn't seem to fade as she looked into the glowing red eyes of her older sister. "Ah. Guess I went too far."

"Stop messing around," Akane scowled, tightening her grip.

"I would if you let go. You wouldn't want to hurt Tomoko by hurting the other half of her soul, would you?"

"As if that'll scare me."

"Ara. You think I'm lying."

Akane stopped when she noticed the girl's gaze was towards Tomoko. She looked over to find her sister in slight pain as small bruises appeared on her neck. She looked back at Mitsuki whose smile disappeared as she glared at her older sister. "It's best if you let go, Onee-chan. You might regret it."

The MoriRed scowled before pulling away. "Explain yourself."

Mitsuki smiled, her positive demeanor returning. "Of course. Hiro-ji, can we use the snack room to talk?"

* * *

Mitsuki softly hummed to herself as she poured herself a cup of coffee as well as a small cup of milk. The team carefully watched her, unsure of what she has planned as she prepared another set. "Can she even drink coffee...?" Ryouta murmured under his breath.

"Just be patient." She placed the drinks and a bowl of sugar onto a tray before bringing it to the table everyone was seated at. "That should do it. So let me explain.

"As you know, Kiseki is a special object passed down in the Tanaka family and is usually wielded by the one with a pure heart in order to enable its strong powers. But here's the catch: no human soul is ever truly pure. Tomoko included."

"What do you mean by that?" Shota asked.

"Think of the concept of yin and yang. Balance between good and bad. In order for good to exist, there must be bad. In order for bad to exist, there must be good. In the symbol of yin and yang, there will be a hint of bad in the good and a hint of good in the bad. Get what I mean?"

"I believe so..."

Mitsuki held up a cup of coffee and a cup of milk. "Think of these as examples. The milk is the good; light in color and usually sweet. The coffee is bad; dark in color and bitter. But what would happen if I pour in just a little bit of each into each other?" She carefully poured a few drops into the other cups, making the colors change. "They look similar to how they originally were but begin to become closer to the other in color. Mixing with each other to form one.

"That's how a human soul works. You cannot be purely made of one half of the balance. There's always a hint of the opposite hidden in you. Tomoko may be pure at heart, but there's always something that would go against the goodness in her that she hides." She looked over at her sisters. "I'm sure you have an idea why."

The two remained silent, not wanting to agree with their sister's other half so easily.

"Now on to how I was created. Kiseki requires a pure heart to be used. In order to keep the body in balance, it can't exactly destroy the darkness that already exists in the Holder or those created in the future. In order to make it easier, it splits the Holder's soul in half, allowing the good half to live freely and sealing the bad half. Tomoko and I. Two different personalities but made from the same soul and body. Even if we're separated, we can still react to what the other is feeling. Feel the same pain as the other. It's this unbreakable bond we have; stronger than Holder and Protector."

"How did you break out then?" Satoshi asked," Surely the seal would have prevented you from breaking it."

"Years of trauma and bottling up those feelings," Akane said, leaning back in her chair with her arms folded. "Keeping those feelings of fear and hatred to herself until her heart couldn't take it anymore..." She reached for her scar. "Something that could have easily been solved but just couldn't..."

Mitsuki sadly smiled at her sister. "You did what you could. Tomoko is still here because you did what you could to make her want to stay in this world. But that's only half of the reason of why I was able to break the seal placed on me."

"That Dorgon guy... right?" Ryouta asked, receiving a nod.

"Best not to blame yourself, Ryouta-kun. We've already forgiven you even if we don't blame you. But what happened that day was a breaking point for her." She took a seat before mixing together the coffee and milk. "She was already having a bad day. Add that up with everything she's gone through in her life would make anyone snap at a certain point. Being kidnapped and brutally tortured definitely wouldn't have helped her. All of that fear and hatred of others slowly grew and the bottle she hid them in couldn't be hold it any longer. One wrong move and she just snaps. All of that darkness that Kiseki tries to seal away couldn't be held away any longer. Blinded by rage and fear, unable to tell the difference between foe and ally. That's the destructive force of Kiseki's powers that no one knows of except now."

"Hmm... That would make sense as the family records show that previous Holders never went through as much as Tomoko did," Hiro said," Perhaps the First Holder but that's about it."

"She's the most weak-willed out of all Holders. It couldn't be helped."

Kiku stood up at this. "Ji-nee isn't weak-willed! If she was… she wouldn't be with us right now...!"

"A mouse can either strive alone or with its family. Tomoko is the latter. All previous Holders were usually Swan warriors. Sometimes there would be the others mixed in, but it's usually the Swan. Obaa-chan and Mama are proof of that. Only one other time was there a Mouse Warrior that held the Crown and that was Kaguya. It was always considered one of the weakest of the team since its Spirit partner is still young and has yet to properly reach maturity."

"Then why Ji-nee?! Why did it pick Ji-nee if she's weak?!"

"Mostly her soul but even that didn't cut it. Because of what she was already going through by the time she received it, her soul was balanced similarly to you two. Probably something about her inner thoughts throughout her life attracted Kiseki to her." Her eyes turned blue before she shifted her gaze towards the door. She let out a sigh before standing up. "I should probably take my leave. I've been out for a bit too long and she still needs to rest." She looked over towards Akane. "Just let me know when you want that fight, _wolfie_." She disappeared, leaving the team to themselves.

Akane stood up before taking her leave. "Nee-chan?" Kiku called, questioning her sister's path.

"Head home, Kiku. Tell Shichi I'll be staying here for the night," the MoriRed said, not looking back towards her youngest sister. "I'll be using the Simulators." She closed the door behind her.

"Nee-chan..."

Shota looked at his friend, seeing how she's conflicted with all of the information given. He walked up to her. "Kiku-chan. Do you want us to walk you home?" He noticed a small nod before looking at his brother. "I'll take care of Kiku-chan. If you want, I can tell Tou-san that you'll be home late."

Ryouta let out a sigh and rested a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Keep an eye on her. I'll keep watch here. Maybe call Ooshiro if anything happens."

"Okay. Come on, Kiku-chan. Before it gets dark."

* * *

Tomoko looked around as she found herself in a white space, fog covering the floor as she felt it chilling her now bare feet. Her eyes turned orange, not recognizing this new location before calling out to her teammates. "Onee-chan! Kiku-chan!" She started to walk around. "Ryouta-san! Shota-kun! Tsubasa-san!"

"You won't find them here," a voice said, making her tense.

She turned to find Mitsuki who was wearing a black sleeveless dress to mirror her white one. She backed away as her eyes started to glow, seeing faint images of the girl standing over her family. She shook her head and ran away from her other side.

Mitsuki sighed at this. "Figured she'd be afraid of me." Her left eye turned pink and Tomoko found herself running into an invisible wall, making her fall back from the impact. Mitsuki appeared in front of her, making her back away against another barrier. "Even if you run, you'll be going in circles," she warned. She knelt down and reached out, her left eye glowing as Tomoko backed up against the barrier.

"S-stay away!" she cried, making her other side stop.

"So you speak." She pulled away before sitting on her feet. "Must be asking a lot of questions right now. Where you are, who I am. To put it simply, this is your subconscious. _Our_ subconscious, actually. Call me Mitsuki. The other half of your seemingly kind soul."

She noticed the girl remained cautious of her, trying to find an opening for escape. She let out another sigh. "You've never really changed, Tomoko. I thought that fighting Nightshift would have toughened you up but I guess you're still that scared little mouse trying to find cover when you see a problem."

"Why...?"

Mitsuki looked at the girl, surprised to see her finally talk. "Hm?"

"Why did you hurt everyone...?"

"So you want to start there... Whatever. As long as you trust me after all of this."

* * *

Akane looked at the can of beer in her hands as she sat in the Simulation Room, Hotaru beside her with some packed meals. "You didn't have to come back," the red warrior said before opening the can.

"Ryo-kun called and said you've been letting off some steam after that fight. He said you needed some Puppy Therapy. Chi-chan and Kyoko will be spending the night with Kiku-chan so don't worry about her being lonely."

"If you say so." Akane took a sip but grimaced at the taste. "Couldn't you bring something else...?"

"We're legal now so it shouldn't hurt. Besides, Ken-papa told me that if you ever go crazy again, I should give you some once we're of legal age. It worked on Saku-mama and I think one of your aunts."

Akane let out a small hum as she looked at the drink. "He's always trying to plan something, isn't he...?" She took another sip before holding it out. "You want to try?"

"Alone in a room with my girlfriend? Iyan~ You sly dog~" Hotaru teased, only to be nudged by the MoriRed. She giggled before accepting the drink, trading it with a pre-made meal box. "But it doesn't hurt to help you when you need it, Akane. You always shoulder everything for your family's sake."

"It can't be helped. It's my job as the oldest to take care of them and a leader to this team while we fight this war... Tou-san and Kaa-san left me with this responsibility since we're the only ones left who can fight... Ojii-chan and Obaa-chan are too old to fight... Our aunts and uncles all retired once they married had kids... It's just us three and the boys..."

"Teammates should trust each other, Akane. You might be the alpha, but you know that wolves are stronger in packs. Blegh... This tastes weird..." She set the drink in between them before opening up her own meal. "Even if it's just you six fighting, you still have teammates to rely on.

"Kiku-chan is still a kid to us, but she grew up fast after what happened. She's taking her training more seriously and even starting to train Shota-kun.

"Ryo-kun is reckless, but he fought hard to gain your trust. Sure he might still have feelings for you to want to fight with you, but he knows he wants to make sure you're okay after everything that's happened.

"Shota-kun is still young and is learning how to fight. He wants to be dependable even though he just started learning. He's like a bear cub which really fits.

"Satoshi-kun-"

"I don't want to hear about that birdbrain right now," the MoriRed groaned as she took another sip of her drink. "He's pissing me off..."

"But he's trying. I'm angry at him, too, but you shouldn't hate him so much. He just needs to learn how to be the man he says he is and tell your sister the truth. But you should still trust him with Tomoko's safety. A leader has to trust her subordinates, Akane. You trust your sisters, Ryo-kun and Shota-kun. You should start trusting Satoshi-kun more, too."

"I know..."

The two continued to eat and share their drink until Akane fell against Hotaru's shoulder, her cheeks flushed as she held onto her girlfriend. "Am I a good sister, Ttaru...?" she murmured, burying her face into the idol's shoulder.

Seeing how the girl was finally letting her guard down, Hotaru gently wrapped her arms around the red warrior. "Tell me what's wrong," she said, combing her fingers through the girl's hair in comfort.

Akane slowly explained the situation to the idol, her speech slurring every now and then as she talked. By the end of it, her head was on Hotaru's lap as the latter played with her hair.

"I just don't know what to do, Ttaru... I want to punch her so badly, but doing that will hurt Tomoko... She's done horrible things to us in the past and I can't accept her as a part of my sister."

"You really hate her, don't you? For what she did to you..."

"I guess..."

"It's a yes or no question, wolfie. 'I guess' won't cut it."

Akane looked at her girlfriend in the eyes before looking away. "I dunno... I mean. I hate how she acts like that after doing what she did to our family four years ago. I just can't believe she's really a part of Tomoko even after showing me how injuries can bounce between the two of them. She didn't even apologize."

Hotaru let out a deep sigh before resting a hand on the girl's forehead. "Maybe you should have a real talk with her. Tell her how you feel about what happened. She might be putting on this act because she knows you're holding yourself back. Try to not be violent and just talk things out."

"I don't think I can do that with her, Ttaru..."

"It's best to try. I know you're angry at her, wolfie, but it's best to try to say everything you can before you start a fight with her. If what you say about her is true, a fight is probably what she wants."

"You think I can do that...?"

"I don't see a reason to not believe in you. Just know that it might help you reach some closure with the past."

"Okay..." Akane pushed herself into a sitting position before finding a water bottle held out to her. She quirked an eyebrow and looked at the idol. "I thought you only brought beer."

Hotaru shrugged with a smile. "That was for you to loosen up. This is to keep you hydrated before you sleep." She stood up, putting the garbage into the bag she had with her before lifting her friend to her feet. "Let's get you ready for bed." She felt the MoriRed fall against her, making her take a step back to maintain her balance. "You're a bigger lightweight than I thought..."

"Can I get a goodnight kiss...?"

Hotaru's face flushed at this, seeing how the girl never really made such requests. She sighed before taking hold of Akane's shoulders and straightening her. "After you get ready and drink your water, wolfie."

"Mmkay..."

* * *

 ** _A/N: And that was Chapter 20!_**

 ** _A reason why this chapter took so long was because of the beginning action scene... I pushed it from the previous to this chapter for a reason. I still don't like writing them because it's hard to put that kind of imagery into words without sounding repetitive. I praise the Action Directors in Toku for being able to bring that kind of imagery to life so I'll do my best in the future!_**

 ** _And I know, I know. I keep pushing the AkaneXHotaru ship a lot but in good reason! Because we're about halfway through the story, let me explain! I originally wrote Hotaru as Akane's childhood friend in my first drafts for the rewrites a few years ago. When I decided to take this story a little more seriously, I started to have trouble with the first chapter revolving around the two of them. Hotaru is supposed to be an emotional anchor for Akane, even more so after the death of Kenta and Sakura. "You can be an emotional anchor without a relationship" I hear you say. Yes. That's how I wrote Chiharu and Kyoko and maybe Satoshi for the most part. I just feel like the way I started to write Akane and Hotaru's interactions became more intimate and sounding more like a couple than two friends. That was when I decided to make them a couple without making their relationship being the focus of Akane's character development. Hotaru is mostly there to keep her in line and making sure she thinks things through. Get it? Got it? Okay. Let's move on._**

 ** _For those wondering why I'm making two girls in their second year of college drink, Japan's legal age of drink is 20. Akane became of age around the beginning of the series while Hotaru was some time before Chapter 13 as summer vacation doesn't start until July. So they're both legal. Don't scream at me for under-aged drinking when they're actually of legal age to drink._**

 ** _Translation!_**

 ** _Mitsuki's name means "beautiful moon". I originally intended to name her "Mizuki" as a pun since "mizu" translates to "water", Tomoko's element. I just decided on changing it to Mitsuki to make it fit more into the idea of the story of Princess Kaguya who the girls' ancestor is named after and she was born the day of the full moon. Just a fun fact._**

 ** _Next chapter will focus around the three (now four) sisters as they try to handle the whole Mitsuki situation. This chapter will really go into the past as it goes through what happened that day and how the girls decide to accept/reject Mitsuki as part of their family._**

 ** _Until next time, じゃね～！_**


	21. Chapter 21

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Super Sentai or any of its characters. I only own my original characters and story.**_

* * *

Hiro softly whistled as he entered the Labs, looking over a few papers he has to review before meeting with the rest of his staff upstairs. He walked past the snack room where he found Hotaru brewing some tea. Curious, he walked inside to greet her.

"I take it you girls slept here overnight?" he asked, making the idol turn.

"H-Hiro-ojisan... Good morning. Yes. Akane and I stayed over. It was a bit too late to go home and we figured it would be okay since Tomoko's staying here to recover. Forgive me for not calling you about this."

"It's fine. As long as you kids don't hurt yourselves outside of duty, I have no problems with things like this. If anything, I should be the one to apologize. Even if I'm their uncle and temporary guardian, I haven't been of much help to them the past year and left it all to you and Shichi."

"I-it's best to not apologize for that, Hiro-ojisan. You have a lot on your plate as the company's president so you shouldn't apologize for your work. I'm just doing what I can as their friend."

Hiro looked at the girl and couldn't help but to smile. "Now I see why she chose you. But don't push yourself too hard, Hotaru. You don't want Akane to worry about you more than she already is. But I should probably pick up a few things before going up for my meeting. Take care and don't be late for class, okay?"

"Y-yes, sir." Hotaru watched the man leave before letting out a relieved sigh. She placed the cups of tea as well as cooling patches onto a tray before heading over to one of the examination room where Akane was sleeping. She placed the tray on the counter and grabbed a cooling patch before going over to the MoriRed, only to find her tossing and turning a little.

"Akane..." She rested a hand on her girlfriend's forehead to find it burning. "You really overheated yesterday..." She opened up the patch before placing it onto the girl's forehead, making sure it was secure. The idol couldn't help but to smile when she found the red warrior calming down a bit before placing a small peck on her forehead. "We'll talk when you wake up, okay?"

She grabbed another patch before going over to Tomoko's room, seeing how she might need to check up on the smaller girl's condition in case she was to wake up. She opened the door but froze when she saw the girl wide awake, seated on the cot as her eyes were cast down onto the white sheets cover her legs. She noticed how the MoriBlue's eyes were a dull blue as she was in some sort of daze.

"T-Tomoko." She rushed over to the girl. "Are you okay? You should be resting," she said.

Tomoko looked at the idol, surprised to see her in the Lab. "Hotaru-san...?" Tears formed in her eyes before she hugged the older girl, quietly sobbing against her chest. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

Hotaru gently wrapped her arms around the small girl, stroking her back in comfort. "Don't apologize so much, Tomoko. There's nothing to be sorry about."

Tomoko shook her head. "There is... There is and I'm sorry..."

Hotaru hugged the girl tighter. "Let it out... We'll talk when you calm down."

* * *

"Kicchi! I brought some snacks!" Kimi said as she entered the Gaming Club room, only to find her friend huddled in the corner with an FPS on the computer set up. She had a pair of yellow headphones covering her ears as a sandwich was in her mouth, slowly eating it as she played.

The girl sighed at seeing this side of her friend before walking over and pulling the sandwich out of her mouth and pulling off her headphones, knocking her out of her gaming trance. She paused the game and turned to find her friend. "K-Kimi..." Kiku averted her gaze, feeling a little guilty for ignoring her friend the whole day. She found a box of chocolate covered crackers held up to her as well as another lunch box.

"Kicchi. Ueno-kun told me you bought a sandwich from the conbini for lunch instead of bringing it from home. I'll give you some of mine."

"You don't have to do that. Shichi will make extra for dinner tonight."

Kimi couldn't help but to pout before her voice lowered. "Your eyes were different all day. It hasn't acted like that ever since... you know..."

Kiku looked away at this, knowing her eyes were a dead giveaway when it comes to her emotions. "Things have just been getting rough lately, okay? You shouldn't worry about it."

"It's a best friend's job to worry." Kimi pulled up a chair before taking a seat. "You've always had my back ever since we've met. I wouldn't be who I am now if it wasn't for you and Ueno-kun. Come on. Tell me what's bothering you."

"You wouldn't understand..."

"I have a best friend who likes to play video games and knows how to shoot a real rifle. I'm sure I can take it," the girl teased, only for the MoriYellow to be unfazed.

"That's the problem, Kimi. What is it about me or my family that's normal? I have a robot butler and was taught how to use a gun at the age of eight. My eyes change color whenever I'm sad or mad. How can you understand something that isn't human like this?"

Kimi looked at her friend, noticing the tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She kicked her feet up to cross her legs as she leaned back, looking up towards the ceiling in thought. "Well that definitely isn't something you'd see every day... But it's something rare, isn't it? It's not every day you get to see someone with yellow eyes! Especially when they change colors! It's like a magical girl anime came to life!"

Kiku looked at her friend in disbelief, only to laugh at what she was hearing. Kimi couldn't help but to pout when she heard her friend laugh.

"I really mean it! I don't get why people think it's weird! I mean, I can easily tell you apart if we get lost in the crowd just by looking for your eyes! And what if we're in danger?! You're the only one that knows self-defense and how to hold a gun! That's a useful skill even in this day and age!"

"Okay, okay. I get it." Kiku wiped away her tears and smiled. "I'm just glad to have a friend like you, Kimi. You might not know all of the crazy stuff in my family, but you're the only one insane enough to see it as something normal."

Kimi tilted her head in confusion. "That's what you got out of that?" she asked, only for Kiku to laugh again. "I'm being serious!" She let out a small sigh in defeat. "Mou. At least you're not moping again." She softly smiled as she watched her friend laugh. _"You've really grown up a lot, Kicchi. I'm actually jealous."_

* * *

Satoshi ran into the Labs, out of breath as if he ran from school. "Is she awake?!" he asked from behind his mask.

"Shouldn't you be at school, Takahashi-kun?" one of the lab assistants asked, surprised to see the boy.

"T-Tomoko's awake, isn't she?! Is she okay?!" he asked.

"Lower your voice. You're being a nuisance to everyone by shouting," Akane chided as she stepped out in some training gear.

"Akane-san. T-Tomoko! Is she-"

"She's fine. Hiro-ojisan is running a few more tests before we can bring her home to rest more. Ttaru is with her so she has some company."

"I-I see... And Mitsuki?"

"Sleeping, most likely. I'd appreciate it more if she doesn't show up again, but knowing her, she probably will."

"I see... C-can I see her? I-"

"It's best to limit the amount of guys she sees today. From the looks of things, she has a clear memory of what happened and will take a while to recover. Hiro-ojisan is an exception since we've known him long enough for her to trust him."

"But I-"

"That's an order," Akane said firmly, cutting him off.

Seeing how angry she was, Satoshi reluctantly took a step back. "I-I understand..."

Akane let out a sigh. "Follow me." She walked into a hallway to lead the boy to a viewing room where they found Tomoko sitting on the cot, tightly hugging her teddy bear as wires were connected to her.

"How long have they've been testing her?"

"For about two hours. Hiro-ojisan rushed over after his meeting to start on it. We had a few lab assistants try to start, but Tomoko avoided them even if they were female. We had to wait until Hiro-ojisan was here." She went over to one of the assistants who were looking over the readings that were being recorded. "How is she?"

"Ah. Tanaka-san. Her levels are higher than normal but they're stable," the young man said," They haven't changed much but compared to yesterday, it seems like she unlocked a little more of Kiseki's powers."

"Is that a good thing?" Satoshi asked.

"As long as she's in a more neutral state, she should be fine. I just have to send these over to the Equipment Department since they're in charge of your Limiter upgrades. Ah. Since you're here right now, we might as well run some tests on you, Takahashi-san. See how your powers have been reacting to hers due to your role."

"U-um... Okay." He took off his mask, seeing how it would get in the way if he won't be close to the girl.

The computer beeped and the assistant looked back at the screen, only to find a spike. "Hm? That's weird."

Akane looked out the one-way mirror to find her sister holding her stuffed bear tighter as her aura was a mixture of light blue and purple. "Stay here. I'm going to calm her." She quickly made her way to the Examination Room where Hotaru was trying to keep the girl calm for the tests as Hiro was trying to find the source of the problem. The MoriRed quickly stood in front of her sister before bending down to look at her in the eye.

"Tomoko. Come on. It's just me." She rested a hand on her little sister's head, making her calm down enough to look at her. "You okay?"

Tears formed in Tomoko's eyes before she dropped her bear and pulled her sister into a hug, tears falling as she cried into Akane's shoulder.

 _"Why is he here...?"_

Akane looked at her sister, surprised to hear her thoughts. _"He...?"_ She looked back towards the mirror before looking at her uncle. "Hiro-ojisan. Any chance you can block her powers from leaving the room?" she asked.

"The system is still a little faulty but it should work." The man tapped a few buttons on his tablet before sheer curtains dropped along the walls and emitting a faint bluish-pink light. "That should do it."

Akane's eyes glowed red as her ears appeared, checking to make sure she can't sense anything outside the room. She took in a deep breath before pulling away from her sister and wiping away her tears. "You okay?"

Tomoko shook her head, tears in her eyes as she looked down. Akane took a seat next to her sister, an arm wrapped around her in comfort. "Talk to me, little sis. You've been quiet all morning."

Hotaru gently picked up the stuffed bear and placing it at the foot of the cot before walking over to Hiro. She quietly held a finger to her lips before ushering him out of the room, closing the door behind her to give the two sisters some space.

Akane looked around the room before going through a few drawers, only to find a box of ear picks. She took one out before heading back to the cot and taking a seat. "Tomoko. Do you want me to clean your ears? I'll do it like how Okaa-san does it. You can talk while I clean."

Tomoko looked at her sister before taking hold of her bear and laying down, resting her head on Akane's lap. The MoriRed couldn't help but to smile in relief before helping the girl take off her hearing aid and get to work.

"Tsubasa-san... That's not his real name, is it...?" the MoriBlue asked.

"That's for him to tell you, Tomoko."

"Why would he lie to me...? I thought we were friends..."

"Sometimes friends have to lie to protect each other, Tomoko. He probably has a reason to keep it secret."

"Everyone knew but me."

"He made us not tell. Besides, a true friend should be the one to tell the truth. We wanted him to realize that."

"I don't like it..."

"None of us do, Tomoko. And that's okay."

"Is it? It is really okay for me to have these bad feelings?"

"It's what makes you human, Tomoko. Everyone feels different emotions. Try to not bottle it up so much."

"You do that."

"And I'm a prime example of what not to do," Akane teased with a sheepish laugh. She cleaned the tip with a tissue before going back to work.

"Onee-chan. Do you remember Kuro-chan?" Tomoko asked.

"Of course. Why?"

Tears started to fall again. "He died... And... and I got angry... I was so angry that those boys did something like that to him... I didn't remember what happened and... and I hurt people, Onee-chan..."

Akane gently petted her sister's head in comfort. "Tomoko. It's best to not blame yourself for what happened."

"But I really did hurt them, Onee-chan!" Tomoko cried as she sat up. "I-I lost control of myself and-and-"

Akane pulled the girl into another hug. "Shh... I got you... Just breathe."

"I-I can hurt people, Onee-chan... Those boys... You... Mama and Papa... I hurt everyone because I bottled up everything and lost control... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Akane's eyes lowered in worry, recalling something similar that has happened a few years ago.

 ** _Flashback_**

 _Akane slammed her fist against the walls of the Simulation Room, creating a large dent. Tears stained her cheeks as she continued to punch the wall, flames surrounding her arms. She pulled back for another strike but her arm was held back. She turned, her glowing red eyes locked onto her father who held her wrist._

 _"Akane. You'll hurt yourself if you keep doing that," he said, keeping his voice calm despite his worry._

 _The young warrior pulled away from her father. "I don't care! Ttaru... Ttaru is in the hospital because of me! Tomoko suffered because of me! Who can I blame but myself?!" she questioned as tears fell. "I'm a monster! I'm a monster who almost killed my best friend and couldn't protect my little sister like I promised!"_

 _Kenta looked at the girl, guilt in his eyes to see his oldest daughter shouldering such a burden at a young age. He gently wrapped his arms around the girl, allowing her to cry against his chest. "Don't blame yourself, Akane. Blame us, instead. Your mother and I should have told you sooner about our family. We chose not to because the burden would be too much for you girls. So don't blame yourself, Akane. Blame us."_

 _"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I should've done better... I... I..."_

 _"Shh... I got you... I got you, Pup."_

 ** _End Flashback_**

Akane carefully pulled away from her sister, wiping away her tears before making the small girl look at her. "Tomoko. There's something I need to tell you. I lost control once, too.

"The day you were kidnapped by the enemy... I lost control of my powers. When you ran away from the high school after thinking Ryouta was cheating, Ttaru and I followed you once he told us what happened. We rushed home because of how dangerous it was to run off alone, but we couldn't find you in the house. I tried calling you, but your phone was dead so I was panicking because Otou-san and Okaa-san trusted me with taking you home. I was about to leave the house but Shichi and Hiro stopped me, telling me it was too dangerous to leave. I asked why, but they refused to answer. Shichi wasn't good at keeping secrets so I knew that something happened by the time I got home... They trusted me with making sure both of us returned home safe... So hearing that you were kidnapped... I lost it..."

Tears started to fall as she tightly held Tomoko's shoulders. "All of my powers were pushed out and I lost control of myself... Hiro and Shichi tried to keep me grounded but it was too much... Ttaru got caught in the middle of the fight trying to stop me and I ended up hurting her... She has a scar because of me and I kept blaming myself for everything... It became worse when Okaa-san told me about Kiseki and why our whole family has powers... Why did it have to be you...? Why did it have to be our family that has to shoulder this kind of burden...? Why couldn't it have been me holding Kiseki so you wouldn't have to suffer?

"That was why I couldn't let you or Kiku go when Otou-san and Okaa-san died. I didn't want to be separated from you two so I could fix my mistakes and protect you from the same thing... But it just got worse when we had to start fighting. Our powers kept growing and nothing improved... I couldn't help you heal from your pain and you kept losing control when you saw the enemy... I should have done better... I should have made sure you were doing better than what you were telling us... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Tomoko..."

Tomoko looked at her sister in disbelief, unable to understand what her sister just told her. "Onee-chan..."

"A little unfair of you, Onee-chan. Telling your little sister when I'm gone," Mitsuki said as she appeared a good distance away from the two, her arms folded. "Well. At least you're a little more truthful about your feelings."

"Those were words that weren't meant for your ears," Akane snapped as she wiped away her tears," You know that."

"Doesn't seem like it from how you phrased everything. Seemed more like an apology to both of us but still mean to leave me out of it." The girl was soon smacked across the face, surprising both her and Akane that is was Tomoko responsible.

"D-don't talk to Onee-chan like that, Mitsuki-san! You should be the one apologizing, too!" she chided. Tears started to fall again. "But I'm sorry... It was because of me being weak that you had to endure everything and lose control... But don't take it out on Onee-chan every single time!"

Mitsuki looked at the girl in shock before smiling. "Guess you do have some sort of guts in you. Onee-chan, too." She gently petted Tomoko's head. "Just make sure you talk about your feelings more if you don't want to go crazy." She walked over to Akane and held out her hand. "Consider this as an apology. I already promised Kaa-san that I would do my best to not hurt anyone before she left, but I'll do my best to prove it to you."

Akane looked at the other half of her sister before reaching out, only to smack her hand away. "Just because you apologized doesn't change anything. You'll have to prove that you're willing to fight for the sake of our team and not for your own selfish reasons. That includes myself, too. We'll shake on it when we both prove ourselves."

Mitsuki smiled again upon hearing her answer. "Seems good enough for me. Would be glad to work with you, _Aneki_."

Akane was taken aback by the new title but took a deep breath to calm herself, letting out an annoyed sigh. "Fine. Just don't cause trouble for everyone."

* * *

Kiku's eyebrow twitched in annoyance when she found Mitsuki making dinner with Tomoko. Akane was at the dining room table biting on some apple slices as she was reading notes on her tablet. "I skip a club meeting and Shota's training session when I heard that Ji-nee woke up earlier than she should have... only to find all three of you already chummy with each other?!" she questioned, her eyes glowing yellow as her ears appeared.

"Anything but chummy," Akane said, dodging a swipe from her youngest sister.

"You guys should have told me what was happening! What if there was some kind of bloodbath?! Do you want me to be in an orphanage?!"

"Kiku-chan. It's best to calm down. We're still working things out," Tomoko said, pulling away from the side dishes she was making. She soon found her cheeks pulled by her younger sister.

"You almost gave everyone a freaking heart attack, Ji-nee. You telling me to calm down is the last thing I want to hear from you," Kiku scowled.

"Who knew that something this small would get the bunny all worked up?" Mitsuki teased as she brought everything to the dining table. "I was making this as an apology dinner but if the little bunny wants to act like that, I'll just have to add extra pieces of pepper into her meal."

Kiku promptly released Tomoko, her eyes turning dark as she looked at her sister's other half. "Ji-nee. This is going to hurt a little," she said.

"H-heh?"

Lightning surrounded Kiku's hands before she grabbed the collar of Mitsuki's shirt and raised a fist. "I'm going to murder this bitch."

Mitsuki seemed to be unfazed by this, maintaining her innocent smile. "Would you really murder your cute sister, Kiku-chan~?" She disappeared when the girl swung, only to hide behind Akane. "Aneki~ Kiku's being mean to me~"

"Get back here!"

Shichi and Hiro watched the four from the door, unsure if they should get in between the chaos. "Is it really okay to leave them alone like that...?" the former asked.

"I just know we have to keep an eye on them. See how their powers improve and what will come in store for them."

"I do not remember being built to clean up messes caused by superpowers..."

* * *

Satoshi took a step forward as he swung his bokken, practicing his swings after not having been able to practice that day.

" _Satoshi! Remember to finish your homework before you practice_!" his mother chided from downstairs.

"I will!" He set his bokken down next to his desk before checking on the rest of his homework, only to find the small light on his Cuff flashing. He picked it up to find a message from Tomoko. He quickly opened it.

 _Will it be okay if we can talk tomorrow? It's a little important, Takahashi-kun. -Tomoko_

* * *

 ** _A/N: And that's Chapter 21!_**

 ** _I know there is a lot going on but judging by the last line, we're finally going to enter the identity reveal arc. I'll keep it small in the next chapter and will do my best to slowly introduce the next arc as I want 22 to be a little bit of a breather chapter after all of the crazy stuff that has happened in these past two Mitsuki episodes. I will definitely bring back Nightshift and their next plans._**

 ** _Translations!_**

 ** _"Aneki" is another way of referring to an older sister but is definitely rougher than Kiku's use of "Nee-chan". I feel like it would fit Mitsuki's personality in a sense as he does show respect towards Akane but is much more tomboyish than all of her sisters.  
_**

 ** _A bokken is a wooden sword used in training in place of real swords. Although kendo often uses shinai for practice and tournaments, the use of a bokken fits Satoshi's style more as it has the same feel as a regular katana._**

 ** _Next chapter will most likely have the monsters return, and I think the giant robots. I haven't used them properly as we haven't actually had a real Monster of the Day to deal with and have it grow. We should next chapter. Next chapter will also show the stance the team has with Mitsuki and how it changes the group dynamic. Things will just get crazier and I hope you all stay with me here as we're in the second half of the series. Still a lot to come and a lot to do._**

 ** _Until next time, じゃね～！_**


	22. Chapter 22

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Super Sentai or its characters. I only own my original characters and story**_

* * *

Satoshi looked over the message on his Cuff, nervously waiting in front of the video game arcade. He read over the message again. _"Surely she mixed up the names, right...? No one told her..."_

"Eh? Takahashi-senpai?"

He jumped at the call and turned to find Shota. "Sh-Shota. What brings you here?" he asked, surprised to see the boy.

"Kiku-chan asked me to come here for training. She cancelled it yesterday so we're going to spend extra time here before heading to the Lab. What about you, Takahashi-senpai?"

"Me? Eh..." He tried to think, unsure how to phrase the situation to his younger comrade. "Well... You see..."

"Yo. Did you wait long?" Kiku asked as she walked up to the two with Tomoko in tow.

"Ah. Kiku-chan. I just got here. I'm ready for the next lesson!"

"You should be. I'll make sure you master this one by the end of the day. Loser treats the winner to ice cream."

Shota's eyes gleamed at this, excited for the challenge. "Challenge accepted!"

Kiku looked over to Satoshi, her gaze turning dark upon seeing him. She rested a hand on Tomoko's head. "Ji-nee. Just let us know if you need anything. We'll be close by." She walked into the arcade, dragging Shota with her.

Tomoko nervously looked at Satoshi after watching her sister leave. "Sh-shall we go in? We can talk in there."

"Y-yeah. S-sure."

* * *

Heavy footsteps echoed through the caves, catching Dorgon's attention as he lifted his head to look at the visitor. Harpy let out a discontent grunt when she saw the approaching Ningengata.

It seemed to have been one of the older members of Nightshift as his back was hunched and clutched a staff like a walking stick in his furry clawed hand. Its head was like that of an elderly Doberman with a gold ring attached to his left ear. A black cloak lined in gold covered him as a chain of large gold rings wrapped around his neck.

"A rare sight to see you down for the count, Dorgon," he mused as he slowly made his way to the two.

"A rare sight for a Shadow to show himself in front of the Master," Dorgon bit back," You're not dying, are you?"

"Not once have I've ever regretted choosing to be a Shadow. Get to reap on those humans whenever I want and still feel young."

"What are you even doing here, Cerber?" Harpy asked, annoyed to see the elder Ningengata.

"I was asked to check on the Master. See how breaking his seal has progressed. But I see you haven't made any since he's still in that darn cauldron and the Head General wounded by mere children."

"And I suppose you know how to handle them? I thought Shadows fear sunlight," Dorgon mocked as he stood up, grasping his injury.

"Oh please. They're just children. Mourning children. I'm disappointed you haven't applied that tactic yet. Well. Give me a few hours. I'll get that kid for ya." He made his way out.

Harpy scoffed. "Since when did Shadows ever come out of hiding?"

* * *

"These are set on Easy, Shota. Your reaction time should be better after doing all of the Hard songs," Kiku teased as she played some rhythm games with her friend.

"T-two machines are hard!" the boy cried as he tried to catch up to the girl.

Tomoko looked at all of the games available, seeing how she's not as experienced as her sisters. Mitsuki appeared next to her. "Tomoko. Can I play a few?" she asked, her eyes shining in anticipation for the games.

Tomoko looked at her other side before taking out her wallet. "Onee-chan said to not cause trouble, okay? Don't use our powers when playing or the staff members will be mad."

"Yeah, yeah. I promise. Now please~"

The MoriBlue let out a reluctant sigh before giving her other half a 1000 yen bill. "That's your budget. We have to go grocery shopping after work so I can only give you this much."

Mitsuki quietly cheered before running off. Satoshi watched the exchange, surprised to hear how accepted his friend's other side is after what has happened. He soon found Tomoko walking over to one of the gacha machines and followed her.

"S-so... what did you want to talk about, Tomoko?" he asked, seeing how she hasn't exactly said anything to him ever since they walked in.

The girl didn't reply as she knelt down, inserting the amount of coins she needed for a capsule before turning the knob. She bought two capsules before standing up and holding one out to the boy. "Let's see what we got," she said before trying to open her capsule.

Satoshi looked at the girl before opening his, only to be a small owl figure. "An owl?"

"I got a swallow," the MoriBlue said as she held up the small bird. She took a seat on a nearby bench after putting the capsule and bag into the box nearby for recycling. "Takahashi-kun. Have you've met Tsubasa-san before?"

The boy froze at this. "I-I don't believe so."

Tomoko sadly smiled at this as she played with the small toy. "I always thought it was strange. Having a close friend trust someone he's never met with my safety. You were always against having Ryouta-san join the team and we've always known him. So having you accept a stranger was strange to me.

"I started to put the pieces together. Why did I never see you two at the same time? Every time Tsubasa-san picks me up from school, you already went home. Onee-chan was angry when he first joined the team before we went to Kyoto. She rarely gets angry at others unless she knows them. Same thing for Kiku-chan. But I decided to ignore it because having the idea of a good friend jumping into battle didn't sit right with me. Until yesterday…"

Satoshi tensed at this, remembering how the girl's readings spiked when he took off his mask. "Y-you saw…?" he asked, receiving a small nod.

"It was what confirmed my suspicions of you being Tsubasa-san." She looked up at her friend. "Takahashi-kun. I have to ask you to stop fighting with us."

"You know I can't walk away from it, Tomoko. Especially now."

"That's why I don't want you to fight. It's too dangerous and I can't let a friend be in danger because of me. Not again."

"So what about your sisters? Or Ryouta or Shota?"

"They're different!" Tomoko snapped as she stood up. "Onee-chan and Kiku-chan won't run away even if I want them to… Ryouta-san and Shota-kun are too stubborn to leave our side after what happened… But I can't let you fight! I don't want someone like you to die because of me!"

Satoshi looked at the girl, guilty of making the girl feel such a way. He took in a shaky breath before resting his hands on her shoulders. "I can't run away, Tomoko. I have to do this for your sake."

Tears formed in the girl's eyes and she pulled away. "If you keep saying things like that… we can't be friends anymore!" She ran off.

"Tomoko!" He was about to chase after her but found his feet frozen to the floor.

"Best not to chase her when she's upset like this," Mitsuki chided as she walked up to the boy, a few stuffed toys in hand. "I really thought you'd handle it better, but I guess not."

"Let me go, Mitsuki! If she runs off again-!"

"Aneki had Ryouta watch her just in case she runs off. But you're really an idiot, Satoshi-kun. Having another friend put their life on the line for her sake is the last thing she wants. Ask Kyo-chan and Chi-chan. You handled the situation wrong and it upset her. Think about it, okay?" She disappeared, following her other half.

Satoshi angrily punched the wall, knowing the choice was already difficult enough.

Kiku and Shota looked on from the side, the latter feeling sorry for his older comrade. "Will they be okay?" he asked, looking at his friend.

"They'll figure it out eventually. You know Ji-nee's different from me, Shota. And the situations are different." She ruffled his hair much to the boy's dismay. "But I'm training you for a reason, remember?"

"Y-yeah… I know."

Kiku softly smiled before turning around. "Let's play another game. Give you a small break."

Shota perked up at this. "R-really?!" He froze when he noticed his friend walking over to the DDR machine. He paled. _"This is anything_ but _a break…"_ he thought worriedly.

* * *

Tomoko looked in the mirror after getting changed into her work uniform. She pursed her lips as her gaze fell.

 _"You want to switch today?"_ Mitsuki asked from their shared subconscious.

Tomoko shook her head. "I'm fine… I'm sorry, Mitsuki-san… I promised to talk to him properly… I guess I was too upset when he told me he can't stay away…"

 _"It's fine. At least you're showing more emotions like you promised. But we should probably switch. I have a bad feeling about today for some reason."_

"O-okay." Her eyes turned violet behind her glasses. _"Are you sure it's okay to take over for so long?"_

Mitsuki couldn't help but to roll her eyes. "Same soul, remember? As long as I don't use any of our powers or cause trouble, we're fine." She closed the locker door before heading out to help with opening preparations, not noticing the shadow watching from outside the café.

"Ah. Tomoko? You feeling better?" Miko asked as she walked up to her junior.

Mitsuki smiled at the older girl. "I am. I'm sorry for missing the past few shifts. I'll work harder to make up for it."

"Don't push yourself too hard. But I'll let you handle the regulars today. Surely they'll be happy to see you again."

"I'll do my best!"

* * *

Akane felt a strange shiver run down her spine as she looked away from her laptop. "Must be imagining things…" she said to herself before looking back at her homework.

The door to her father's Lab opened as Hiro stepped in. "Did you sense something?" he asked, holding up a tablet with the team's charts.

"I got a weird shiver is all," the MoriRed said, not taking her eyes off her work. She jumped when she found the tablet mere inches from her face. She noticed a spike on hers and Kiku's charts. She took hold of the tablet. "Both of us?"

"Might want to check out where your senses are taking you. Must be important if both of you are reacting," her uncle chided as he took away the tablet.

"If it's both of us, I guess I should." She stood up and swung her hoodie over her shoulder. "I'll call the others if it's something to be worried about. Let me know if there's anything to look out for." She took her leave, allowing her uncle to look over the charts again.

"No warnings of an enemy attack but was caught by the two of them…" He scrolled through the charts, only to find another spike on Tomoko's before it leveled out at a slightly higher reading. "So she's taking over in response to the reading…" He made his way to his brother's computer before putting on a headset, connecting him to the Surveillance Room. "Keep an eye on the kids for me. I have a feeling there's more to what they're facing than a regular Ningengata."

" _Roger._ "

* * *

Akane stepped out of the MoriMetals building but stopped when her eyes flashed red as her wolf ears appeared. She looked around in caution, knowing her ears wouldn't appear without a reason beyond her control. She reached for the headphones hanging around her neck and turned one of the knobs, making her ears disappear. _"Easy, wolfie… Don't overreact…"_ She took out her hoverboard before taking off towards the shopping district, knowing both of her sisters should be in that area for the time being.

Her eyes glowed again as something shot her hoverboard, making it tip over as the straps released her. _"Shit!"_ She turned off her headphones as flames surrounded her arms and legs, and her ears appeared once more. She quickly did a flip in midair before landing on her feet, bending her knees enough for her right hand to touch the ground and steady her landing. She looked back at her board that crashed into the pavement as nearby civilians backed away in shock.

"Clear the area!" she shouted, making the flames disappear as she looked around. She took off her glasses to scan the area, only to find white arrows being shot in her direction. She quickly summoned her Canine Claw and swung at the arrows, deflecting them to the side. She reached for her Cuff to transform but stopped when she saw the attacker.

Its face was covered by a white helmet with a feathered texture and the visor was almost butterfly-like in shape as the tips were pointed and curled as the black was trimmed with pink rather than silver. A shortened swan beak rested below the visor, the length shortened to avoid injury to others. Its uniform matched the girls' only it was white in color with the middle stripes colored a light cotton pink. The chest guard was of a swan in flight trimmed in pink.

Akane dropped her claws and shook her head. "Y-you're kidding… Y-you shouldn't…"

More arrows were shot at her but were blocked by a pink barrier. "Don't let your guard down, Aneki," Mitsuki chided as she landed next to her sister. "Had to deal with a few of those before I got here." Her lips twisted into a scowl as she looked at the enemy. "Of all things to bring back… it had to be this."

"Mitsuki…" Akane shakily picked up her weapon, trying to steady her breathing to calm herself.

Mitsuki looked back at her sister and took hold of her shoulder. "Calm yourself. Stay down if you can't. Kiku's in the Café since she got a shock, too." Her eyes glowed as the barrier warped to create a rope and wrap itself around the false MoriWhite. She looked back at Akane and covered her older sister's eyes. "You wouldn't want to see this."

Akane flinched when she heard flesh being pierced. She moved Mitsuki's hand away to look to find the fake pierced from different directions as it transformed into an Ooteshita. "What the hell was that?"

"A work of a Ningengata. More powerful than the other ones that creates illusions. You okay?"

"Y-yeah…"

Mitsuki looked at her sister, her eyes glowing pink as she examined the older girl. She gently cupped the MoriRed's face, making her eyes turn pink as well before she calmed down. "Better?"

Akane pulled away and gave a small nod, knowing her sister probably used her empath powers to calm her. "Yeah. You?"

"If I hold back on using these powers, I should last until about sunset." She reached for her hearing aid. "Hiro-ji? It's Mitsuki. Got the info I sent you?"

* * *

Hiro looked at the files that were being pulled up as well as surveillance cameras. "Yep. Looks like you'll be facing something the family hasn't seen in years. We found traces but not so much actual readings. We'll look into whatever data we have."

 _"And the location?"_

"Undetermined. He's really hiding himself."

* * *

Mitsuki let out a sigh. "Alright. Let us know if you find anything." She hung up and looked at her sister who was already transformed. "Data will take a while to figure out."

"So what are we dealing with?"

"Something affiliated with Nightshift but they don't show themselves when they torture their victims. A major reason why I appear and go crazy, actually. I'll have to dig deeper tonight."

"So we're treading on unknown territory."

"Basically." She took hold of Akane's wrist before fiddling with her Cuff. The MoriRed quickly pulled away at this.

"What are you doing?" she questioned, making her sister roll her eyes.

"Dampening your Limiters. You think we'll find a hiding monster with our suppressed powers?" Mitsuki took hold of her sister's Cuff again, lowering the settings attached to her hearing aids and headphones.

"You really think that'll work?"

"Nope. But our ancestors never really used Limiters when they grew up. Might as well." She proceeded to take out her own hearing aids, only to have a large pulse be released from her body. Akane stumbled back from the pulse but regained her footing as she looked at her sister who was clutching her head, her eyes pulsing between violet and dark blue.

"Mitsuki?"

"I'm fine. I just let my guard down a bit." She replaced her hearing aids. "At least it attracted that thing to us."

As if on cue, Cerber appeared before the two, making them go into a defensive stance. "Just to expect from that one's descendants. Quite smart for a bunch of young whippersnappers," the Shadow mused as he walked towards them.

"Just one of you, huh? Guess your friends would need a bigger push to come out," Mitsuki said as she brought out her scythe.

"I'm just an old man passing by is all. But I am highly curious of how this generation was able to best Dorgon at such a young age." He summoned more Teshitas. "I hope you wouldn't mind entertaining this old man." He waved his staff as the footmen began to warp and change shape, taking the forms of the girls' parents.

Mitsuki looked back towards Akane. "Think you'll be okay?" She took a small step forward when she saw flames around her older sister's arms and legs.

"Now I am," the MoriRed scowled before charging.

Mitsuki's eyes turned pink as she scanned the older girl. "If you say so." _"Tomoko. I'm going to try to get things done as fast as possible. Think that's okay?"_

 _"Try to not use too much, Mtisuki-san. I'm still not used to this yet."_

"Yeah, yeah." She readied her scythe before charging, slashing at each imposter with ease. She was about to slice another one but found it struck by lightning-charged bullets. She stopped in her tracks. "You're late, Kiku-chan."

The MoriYellow stood a good distance away, rifle in hand as lightning surrounded her arms and legs. Mitsuki couldn't help but to whistle, impressed by the sight. "Guess all three of us have to go wild today. Just try not to kill anyone, Kiku-chan."

The youngest warrior didn't say anything but instead continued shooting as she charged, slashing down those who managed to dodge her bullets. The boys soon arrived but froze when they saw the sisters fighting. They watched as Akane clawed at many of the disguised Teshitas, maybe taking off a few limbs as she rampaged. Kiku was almost as merciless with the fatal shots she's taken.

"Sh-should we really go in and help them…?" Shota asked, seeing how the girls never really fought that violently.

"It seems like they kind of have it covered…" Ryouta said, slightly paling at the idea of running into the middle of the fight. "That guy must've really pissed them off for them to act like this."

Satoshi's ears perked and he looked over towards Cerber who was summoning more Teshitas. "Would it be okay if we took him on as the girls blow off steam?" he suggested.

"Are we even at the level to fight an elite by ours-" Ryouta stopped when he found his teammate charging. "O-oi! Takahashi!" He ran after the high schooler.

Shota shook in his spot, unsure how to handle the problem. _"Nii-san and Takahashi-san are both fighting that Ningengata… Kiku-chan and her sisters are all going crazy… What should I do…?"_ he thought worriedly. He took in a deep breath to calm himself before running into the fray, knocking down the Teshitas charging at him. He fought to create a path before turning to his teammates. "A-Akane-san! The Ningengata!" He paled when he saw the bloodlust in his leader's eyes and ducked when she launched herself in his direction, flying over him. He looked back to find his leader slashing and kicking Cerber when the Ningengata was holding Ryouta and Satoshi back.

A hand took hold of his back collar before pulling him to his feet, only to be Mitsuki. "Best to stay on your feet, Shota-kun. Don't want to look lame in front of my little sister," she teased.

"M-Mitsuki-san?!"

"Help Kiku-chan with the Teshitas. I have a feeling your brother and Takahashi-kun won't be of much help to Aneki against this guy."

"O-okay!" He ran off to help his friend with the foot soldiers.

Mitsuki couldn't help but to smile, knowing the younger boy is still improving. "While that's being taken care of-" she looked over towards her older teammates who were knocked back by one of Cerber's attacks, "- There's a hellhound that needs to be put down. Hope you're ready for a few days of sore muscles, Tomoko. Well. Not that it would be too much of a problem." Her eyes glowed violet before she charged at the Ningengata, making her scythe disappear as dark energy surrounded her fist. "Move out of the way!" she shouted.

The three turned and quickly jumped out of the girl's way, allowing her to land a punch to Cerber's abdomen, knocking him back. She regained her footing and shook off the slight sting in her hand. "Hope you don't mind another hand in this fight."

"Just don't push yourself too hard," Ryouta said with a smile, somewhat relieved to have the girl help.

Cerber got to his feet, coughing from the strike. "Just to expect from the one who holds Kiseki. If I was just a few thousand years younger, that would have been nothing."

"Heh~ So you guys actually do age," Mitsuki teased," I always thought beings of this underworld realm you come from would be forever young. Guess being a Shadow can age you."

"Quite a smart mouth from a child. But you're still miles from defeating me." He raised his staff to release multiple orbs of purple fire, making the four dodge.

"Just to expect from a hellhound." Mitsuki landed next to Akane, seeing how her flames are spreading. "Think you could trust me for a few seconds?" Her eyes turned pink, sending a message to her sister.

"That better work, Mitsuki."

"Best not to doubt one who knows how to fight."

Akane looked at her sister but let out a reluctant sigh. "It's on you if I burn something down." Her eyes glowed behind her visor as she held out her right arm to the side, concentrating her flames in her claws. "We only have one shot at this."

"Of course." Mitsuki's eyes turned blue as ice and mist covered her left arm. "Ryo-kun. Mind if you can help us create a diversion? Takahashi-kun, too."

"S-sure!"

"A diversion, huh? Well. I wish you luck to defeat a veteran like me," Cerber mused as he fired more flames.

" _Gound Breaker!_ " Ryouta smashed his fists against the ground, making the concrete surround his arms to create armored gloves. He charged at the Ningengata with his new technique, swinging at the Shadow who dodged and deflected him with ease.

"It's not hard to tell if you're related by blood just by your experience. I'm surprised Dorgon went easy on your kids." He knocked the orange warrior back. Before dodging a swing from Satoshi. "Hm. Wonder what's making you angry, youngin'."

"That's none of your business!" Satoshi scowled before swinging his weapon again, only for it to be blocked by Cerber's staff.

"Attacking from emotions. No wonder humans are weak." He launched a flurry of flames at the boy, knocking him back. "And the last ones should be…" He turned to the girls but stopped when he found them missing. "Hm?" His ears twitched and quickly turned, only to find two blades piercing his abdomen.

"Miss us?' Mitsuki teased.

"How did you-?!"

"Surprising how you know of Kiseki and not its powers, Shadow. Well. I guess cloaking our auras really helped in that case. Aneki." Her eyes turned a light blue.

"Oh shut up." Akane's eyes glowed brighter before flames erupted from her claws, making the Shadow cry out from the pain.

"And just to be safe." Mitsuki's eyes glowed before icicles came from her sword, piercing the Shadow. The two shifted their footing before launching the Shadow into the air.

"To think I'd be outsmarted by children…!" Cerber cursed to himself before exploding.

Mitsuki smiled as she looked at her sister. "Told you it would work." A sudden pain came to her before she collapsed, making Akane catch her.

"It worked, but you overworked yourself," the MoriRed chided before collapsing to one knee to balance herself. She looked over towards the others, Kiku leaning against Shota for support from overexerting herself. She looked at Ryouta. "Mind if you can take us home? We overdid it."

Ryouta hesitated before carefully taking hold of Tomoko. "You really overdid it, Akane. Make sure to rest when we get you home." He lifted Tomoko onto his back, making sure her arms were over his shoulders.

"Y-yeah…" Akane carefully got to her feet but found her legs giving out, making Ryouta take hold of her.

"Hang onto me if you have to." He took out his hoverboard before letting his leader rest on it. He looked over at Satoshi who reached out to Tomoko, only to keep the girl away. "You need to think about what happened, Takahashi. Sho and I will take care of them. Come on, Sho." He brought the two sisters away, making his brother follow as they left Satoshi alone to himself.

* * *

"Hmm… Even the old man couldn't bring himself to his second stage," Harpy mused as she watched the fight. "Guess he was all talk."

Dorgon remained silent, thinking over the battle he has just witnessed. "Guess they're really making their move…" he said to himself.

* * *

Mitsuki quietly snuck into the Base, only to find her sisters on the computers doing research after resting. "Took you long enough," Kiku chided as she looked at the spirit. "How's Ji-nee?"

The girl looked at her sister before letting out a sigh and placing a hand on her hip. "She should be fine by morning. If Aneki wasn't fighting with me, we would've been out cold for a week." She took a seat next to her sisters. "Find anything interesting?"

"Nothing extremely helpful. Like you said, this is basically unknown territory we're walking on here," Akane said," What about you?"

"Still having some trouble with accessing all of the memories. I'll put Tomoko out of commission if I dive deeper. But I do have enough for us to understand the situation. They're called Shadows and as the name says, they pretty much hide in the shadows whenever they're absorbing negative energy from people. A big issue with them is that they don't like to act on the surface which is why we don't really have information on them."

"Cerber… Cerberus? So that guy was on the same level as elites like Dorgon?" Kiku asked.

"Considering how their powers are far more advanced than the others, that's most likely the case. We'll have to be careful now if they're going to show up. Unlike normal Ningengata, they probably have a better idea of their victim's trauma. That's why he was able to create those illusions of our parents."

"We've let our guards down when we saw those…" Akane angrily slammed her fist against the table. "Those guys definitely play dirty to use those tactics."

"Guess that means we'll have to train harder if we want to deal with those guys…" Kiku muttered, knowing she was easily overpowered by the false copies of her parents. "What we can do now barely got us through that fight."

"Sounds easier than it is since we're still inexperienced," Mitsuki said," But more reason to aim higher than we already have. I might have to take over more often so we don't lose control." She looked over towards Akane. "Hope you don't mind."

"If it means less chances of you creating more scars on us, be my guest. But this means that we're approaching the harder side of this war so we don't have a choice but to prepare for the worst." She looked at both of her sisters. "Keep your guard up since we're going against those who know of our fears. We'll have to keep each other safe."

The two younger sisters gave a small nod, showing worry for the upcoming battle.

* * *

 _ **A/N: This chapter was a pain in the arse! ...Sorry. It took me over a month to finish because of school and trying to figure out how tot handle action scenes. The robot fights should be coming back soon. I promise. I just haven't been able to find a way to fit them in. Sorry! TTwTT**_

 _ **Next chapter will be a little... messy. The team will definitely start intense training to awaken their true powers as well as solving some issues caused by the Shadows. I will be introducing a new baddie so look forward to that.  
As for Tomoko and Satoshi's relationship, just be patient. Each part of their story arc has to be spread out because of their relationship and such, and there will be moments for them to fix things. I will be going into Ryouta's own arc soon as I feel like he's been in the shadow for a bit too long. Just be patient. I know realism is kind of impossible given the fact they have magical powers and such, but at least the character development should feel natural, especially when it comes to different relationships.**_

 _ **Until then, じゃね～！**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**N/A: Two months... It took me two months to finally complete this chapter... I am so sorry (TTwTT). I had a lot of schoolwork to do at the time and the artist in me has been going crazy this semester. I usually make at most 1 drawing in 1-2 months and... I made 15 in a span of 3 months... That's how insane my artist side is even though I have school to worry about. But I swear, I do hope I can at least finish the entire thing within the next year. It's a slow process and the execution of ideas can be really hard so wish me luck!**_

 _ **Here's Chapter 23!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Super Sentai! I only own my original characters and story. Enjoy!**_

* * *

Footsteps echoed through the caves of Nightshift as a lone figured enter, making the two elites turn to their visitor. Harpy raised an eyebrow at the sight, letting out a small hum when she examined him.

Like Dorgon, this new Ningengata was dragon-like in form as he had wings connecting his arms to his torso. Navy scales covered his body as he also donned silver lightweight armor for extra protection. His face was long compared to the Head General as his two horns were slightly curled at the ends. His yellow eyes gleamed in amusement upon entering the room.

"I see this place has never really changed in the past few hundred years," he mused, looking around. "I thought you would change things up much like how humans do. Add a little light maybe."

"What are you doing here, Wyver?" Dorgon questioned," Last time we heard from you, you said you wanted to reap on the Clan after those two perished."

"Well that was the plan, but you know that woman. She's quite greedy when it comes to her prey so touching them would be much harder even with all of that built up negative energy in those children. But I was given a request by the Master. He asked if we Shadows would like to take our turn in this fight now that their own Head General is currently resting after being beaten by a little girl. The Holder, even."

"I don't recall the Master ever sending out an invitation," Harpy said.

"Well he tends to do that in secret. That's how we Shadows work after all. Well. I'm mostly here to observe. It's difficult to gather my fellow members when we're out and about so we might as well have somewhere to properly meet. Luckily the one I wanted to call has already gone through with his plan and results should surface soon."

"So soon? Without even introducing himself?"

"Oh, I'm sure the Master would appreciate it. Those children wouldn't know what hit them. Now-" He held up his hand, making the book appear in his hold," -Let's go over some information. Too many names to remember and that wench has been hogging those children enough for me to not be up to date on them."

Dorgon let out a disgruntled scoff as he looked away, not wanting to look at the Shadow much longer.

* * *

Akane looked at the glass music box on display as it was playing a soft tune. "This has been your most recent interest?" she asked, picking up another one that had a sticker for the song inside.

Hotaru couldn't help but to smile as she held one to her ear. "You remember the one I have in my room, don't you? I figured that if we're going to have some huge projects in later semesters, I might as well try to study these and make my own. It doesn't hurt to collect a few."

"Hmm… so you already have a goal in mind." Akane picked up another music box. "Then I guess I'll buy one, too."

"Then it's settled!"

The two looked around more, looking between different box designs and the music. Hotaru noticed one with a song name she's never seen before and carefully wound it up, holding it against her ear to listen. _"Maybe this one…"_ she thought.

 _Help…_

She pulled the box away from her ear, looking around in confusion. Her eyebrows furrowed, unsure if she really heard a voice.

 _Help… Akane…!_

She felt a sudden sense of pain in her head as she took hold of the table to keep herself up, her free hand grasping her head. "Ttaru?" Akane rushed to the idol's side. "You okay?" She reached out but felt her hand burning upon contact, making her pull away. "What the-?"

 _Akane… Akane!_

Hotaru's eyes closed before she collapsed, making Akane catch her. "Ttaru!"

* * *

Akane nervously paced in the hospital waiting room, worried of what has happened to her best friend. Her eyes glowed red and she turned to the entrance where she found her sisters running in, panic in their eyes. "Onee-chan!" They ran over to their older sister.

"W-what are you two doing here?" she asked.

"Harue-san called me and said Kyo-chan collapsed," Tomoko said as she tried to catch her breath. "M-my powers were losing control and Mitsuki-san told me to get Kiku-chan and come here as fast as possible!"

Akane quickly took hold of her little sister's shoulders to stop her. "Easy. Easy. Take deep breaths. Calm down." She looked over towards Kiku who was just as bewildered of the news. "Where are the boys?"

Kiku took in a deep breath before pointing behind herself with her thumb. "Takahashi's outside standing guard. He told us on our way here that both Ryouta and Shota collapsed. Hiro-ji, too. Mitsuki told me she felt Kimi and Chiharu collapse from the sudden spike in Ji-nee's powers so now we have six."

"Seven," the MoriRed corrected, only to receive a raised eyebrow. "Ttaru collapsed, too… That's why I'm here first."

"That explains enough." Kiku folded her arms, trying to hide her worry for the others. "There hasn't been anyone else being submitted for collapsing, right? Something is up if it's only those seven."

"Now that I'm hearing of the others, it really is."

"Is Nightshift the cause of this?" Tomoko asked worriedly, only to be quickly shushed by her sisters to keep her voice low.

"We'll have to find out once the Lab or Hiro finds something that may have caused it. But if everyone aside from the boys are here, we might as well wait." She took hold of her sisters. "We have to stay calm about this, okay?"

The two felt their eldest sister's hold shaking, knowing she's just as worried and frightened. They gave small nods, unsure if it will calm the red warrior.

"Excuse me? Are you Akane Tanaka?" a nurse asked as she walked up to the three, making the girl pull away.

"Y-yes. Is T-… Is Hotaru okay?" Akane asked, only to find the nurse hesitating.

"W-well yes, but… I think this is something you'll have to see for yourself. She's been asking for you the whole time once she woke up." She led the girls to the room where Hotaru was submitted, only for the three to step back when they saw wolf ears made of flames atop the girl's head as her eyes were red and matching markings were on her cheeks like whiskers. They noticed a long wolf-like tail as well that didn't seem to damage the bed she was sitting on.

"Is everything okay?" the nurse asked, unable to see the markings, herself.

"Y-yeah… Um… Can we have a moment with her alone?" Akane asked.

"Of course. I'll be back when you call." The nurse took her leave, closing the door behind her.

Akane slowly walked up to her girlfriend who was looking around in caution, lost in the room she's currently in. "Ttaru? Are you okay?" she asked, making the girl look at her.

The idol looked at the MoriRed from head to toe. "A-Akane? Are you really Akane?" she asked, tightly gripping the sheets.

"Y-yeah…" Akane stepped back when the girl wrapped her arms around her waist, quietly sobbing into her chest.

"Akane… Please… Please save the forest…" she whimpered, her voice muffled.

"The forest?" Akane stopped and looked at the idol, now realizing what's happening. "I-Inuko…?"

* * *

The four remaining team members looked at the seven in front of them, all showing signs of being controlled by Spirits. Kyoko had ears made of ice and her whiskers were shaped by bubble-like patterns. Kimi had rabbit ears made of white energy with yellow sparks surrounding them as her whiskers were shaped like lightning bolts. Ryouta and Shota both had bear ears and claws made of rocks and plants respectively. Hiro and Chiharu had wings in black and white feathers. All six of them had their eyes change to the colors of their respective partners.

Mitsuki soon appeared and folded her arms. "I checked everything and to put it simply: they're possessed by our Spirit partners."

"But the question is how and why," Kiku said, a little irked to have another one of her friends pulled into this war.

Hiro quickly put his hands on his knees before bowing his head, making Chiharu do the same thing. "Forgive us for appearing in this world so suddenly. We didn't have a choice," he said.

"Tell us what happened for all seven of you to be out here," Satoshi said," We might not be able to fight properly if you're not in your own world."

"We're not too sure, ourselves," Chiharu said," Usually the Forest is safe from danger because you have to meet certain criteria to move through the barrier. Something managed to slip through and attack us as if they knew who we are to all of you."

The five looked at each other, seeing one possible explanation. "Shadows… of course," Akane said with a sigh. "Attacking the ones who allow us to even fight in the first place would definitely put us at a disadvantage…"

"We had to escape the Forest because we can't defend ourselves like you do," Ryouta said," But the only way for us to properly be here and communicate with you is by possessing humans with enough contact to your powers."

"Hold on. You guys are the ones who allow us to fight. How come you can't fight like us?" Satoshi asked.

"Our powers aren't as powerful as yours so we can't defend ourselves as well as you do. Even when we're in these bodies, we can't do anything."

"You have to help us and save the forest," Kyoko said, her voice higher than usual. "Only the six of you are strong enough to fight the enemy."

They all looked at the family of spirits, unsure how to approach the situation. "This is getting even more complicated than it should be…" Kiku muttered," But we can't just let them walk around like that. The enemy will find them instantly if they walk around with ears and wings."

"The Lab is the safest spot aside from our house, but we still need Ryouta and Shota to fight with us in terms of numbers," Akane said. "Problem is that we need them in their own world for the link to our Cuffs to work."

"And I can't take over for the whole fight or Tomoko will be out for a few days," Mitsuki added," Whoever that Shadow is, he's smart to be able to think about the obstacles."

"Is there any way you can still hide without taking over them for too long?" Tomoko asked," Mitsuki-san and I will find a way to keep you all safe here."

"We're not sure, ourselves. It's our first time possessing humans," Hiro said," If we had more time to prepare an escape, we would've been able to go about without possessing anyone."

Kiku looked over towards her sisters. "Mitsuki. How were you and Ji-nee able to switch back and forth?"

The two sides looked at each other, Tomoko raising her shoulders for a shrug since she's usually not one to initiate the change. Mitsuki took in a deep breath, unsure how to properly explain the process. "I think it's mostly easier for us because we're the same person. As long as one side fights for control more than the other, we switch. It's easier when the other half agrees to the switch, but also when we switch back since I can't take over for too long."

"It might work for them, but we're not sure ourselves," Tomoko added," They're different souls so it might be harder which would explain why they collapsed."

"It's best to try," Akane said," Having them like this makes it too easy for the enemy to find them. Not to mention they can't fight while possessing them."

"I'll help them with the switching back process so they know how to do it when needed," Mitsuki said," But it might take a lot since it's not a power we use often." She disappeared, taking over Tomoko in the process.

"Will it really be okay?" Chiyu asked, receiving a small smile from her partner.

"We just want to keep you and your hosts safe. Just trust us." Mitsuki held out her hand, a soft glow coming from it as light shone onto the seven. Their elements disappeared before they turned back to normal.

Kyoko tightly grasped her head with a wince. "God, that was weird…" she groaned," Should've came with a warning next time."

They all jumped back when they heard a scream, only to be Kimi who was looking around. "What the heck just happened?!" she cried," I was in a weird place and now I woke up to a weirder place!"

Kiku looked at her friend before letting out a sigh. "Figured she wouldn't know much…" She looked at her sisters, silently asking for permission.

Akane gave a small nod before bringing Hotaru to her feet as well as Hiro. "Make sure she knows enough to understand, okay?"

The yellow warrior gave a small nod as the others left the room, only to pull Shota back. "Stay…" she said, knowing she might need some support when explaining everything.

Shota looked at his best friend. He carefully pulled away before taking hold of her wrist. "I'm right here, okay?"

* * *

Harpy tilted her head as she looked into the cauldron. "Guardian Spirits?" she asked," We haven't heard of those in centuries."

"Just to expect from Kitsutsuki. Being able to infiltrate their world," Wyver mused.

A dark shadow moved through the rocky floors before surfacing, revealing a Ningengata. She was dressed in a black and red shrine priestess robe with the bottom of the pants torn in places. The sleeves were long enough to cover her hands but just enough to reveal her claws as one hand was holding a belled staff. Her face was similar to a black kitsune mask with white markings to match those on her robs. Over her shoulders was a silk white scarf that seemed to be floating when not resting on her shoulders and arms.

She rested a hand on her chest before giving a bow to her general. "The pleasure is mine, Wyver-sama. It took some time to find an entrance as the main one had a protective barrier to guard them. All that is left is to lure them out."

"And what do you plan on doing once you get your hands on them?" Dorgon questioned, receiving a laugh from the Shadow.

"I thought your book would say all, Dorgon-sama. But might as well. That family uses their connection to those spirits to begin using their powers. Mind you, they are just children so it's obvious they don't have enough control to use those powers, themselves, without some form of help. So what would happen if those spirits were to just disappear?"

The two elites stopped to think for a moment, only to understand her intentions. Wyvern could only let out an amused hum. "Well I'll let you see to it. If your plan turns out successful, it will make it much easier for us to get rid of them for good."

* * *

"You're a superhero and you never told me?! Kicchi, this is _big_!" Kimi exclaimed after having her best friend explain everything.

"I never told you for a reason, Kimi," Kiku chided as she stood up from her seat. "This is really dangerous stuff I have to deal with and I'm still only thirteen years old. I was dragged into a war I never knew about and it was the same war that took my parents."

Kimi looked at her friend, now calming down after the mention of her parents. She took in a deep breath before standing up and putting her hands on the MoriYellow's shoulders. "I still think it's awesome, Kicchi. You save people regardless of whether they're good or bad. You're doing something no other person can do and you're still here."

"And the day I'm not?"

"You'll be a wrinkly old lady with kids and grandkids who know you did good. And I'll be right at your side through it all. I mean, Ueno-kun, too, but you know what I mean."

Shota hunched forward at this, seeing how the two have been in their own world during the conversation.

Kiku couldn't help but to smile and pulled her friend into a hug. "Just stay safe for me, Kimi. I'm already putting Shota at risk. I can't let you be in danger, either."

"I'll be fine. Even if I'm in danger, I know you and your sisters will be right there." She gently squeezed the yellow warrior's face. "I'm proud of you, Kicchi. You've done a lot of good things so don't forget that, okay? You might think you're weird for having powers, but just know you have people who are proud of you. Okay?"

"Okay… Thanks, Kimi."

* * *

"To think we'd be put on house arrest… And we can't even go out to eat!" Kyoko whined as she sat at the dining table of the Tanaka house.

"We don't have a choice, remember?" Hotaru chided as she helped Akane cook lunch. "We're all in trouble so we have to stay in safe spots until they can figure everything out."

"At least we know we'll be safe if we stay with them," Chiharu added," But we're sorry, Tomo-chi. You all have to watch us now that we're the ones being targeted this time."

Tomoko shook her head. "It's okay. We didn't expect something like this to happen so we just need to be careful."

They all heard a crash from downstairs. Akane put down her knife and wiped her hands with a towel. "That idiot." She went down to the Base with Hotaru in tow, only to find Kuu standing over a broken training robot.

Inuko's ears appeared as her eyes turned red. "Kuu! I thought we agreed on not using our powers while taking over!" she chided, making her brother tense.

"S-sorry! I couldn't help it since it's Ryou and I," the bear said sheepishly, only to step back at the glare his older sister gave him.

"Even Jou is holding back. You should do the same as the older brother."

"O-okay…" Ryouta then took over before falling back in exhaustion.

"Damn… I didn't think I could do that much…" he said.

"Our bonds with the Spirits help us trigger our powers better until we don't need it as much," Akane said," Just be careful since you and your brother are still training."

"Will do."

"Okay. I'm going to get back to making lunch. Come on, Ttaru."

"Can I talk to Ryouta for a second?" Inuko asked.

Akane raised an eyebrow, curious to have her partner talk to the boy. "Don't take too long or the food will get cold, okay? And no using your fire. I don't want Ttaru passing out in the middle of the house." She went upstairs, leaving the two alone.

Inuko took in a deep breath before sitting near the orange warrior. "Hotaru-san told me a lot when I took over," she said," How you want to protect them after everything. Kuu told me, too."

"I guess I really underestimated that link we have with our partners," Ryouta said sheepishly. "I guess you're telling me to train harder to do better, right?"

"Not really. But let me tell you a secret, Ryouta. Even Akane doesn't know I'm telling you this but she'll probably know soon once we get back home. She has a lot of faith in you as Kuu's partner. She just didn't want you to know until later."

"Do you really mean that?"

"Of course. Even Hotaru-san can tell. She's been asking you to watch Tomoko whenever she's busy, right? Surely that says enough since things are still rough with Satoshi."

"I-I suppose so…"

"You're a good guy, Ryouta. You did your best to keep her happy when you two dated. Hotaru-san was jealous, but she knew you didn't want to do any harm. Kuu even told me that you didn't want to be his partner until your brother decided to join the fight."

Ryouta backed away at this. "H-how did-?!"

Inuko couldn't help but to giggle. "Us Spirits know a lot of things. It was actually all seven of us that decided on recruiting the two of you even if it was against our partners' wishes. Kuu was a little heartbroken when you even rejected the idea of making up with the girls since he was sure you'd accept at the thought of that since you wanted to protect them after the incident. He was surprised at the sudden change of heart but was happy for you when you talked to them."

Ryouta looked away at this, his cheeks pink at having another reason being revealed. "I couldn't help it, Inuko. I mean, my brother is still a little kid and Chibi was about that age when she… you know… The thought of him being dragged into the war that caused all of that made me worry that the same thing would happen again, but he's the one in danger. If I can't protect my brother, how can I protect the three of them? That's why I accepted. I don't want to be the same guy who couldn't help them when they needed me the most. I want to be someone they can trust and be comfortable around."

Imuko smiled at this. "I always knew we made the right choice. Akane was really angry, but I knew that she never truly hated you. Keep working hard for everyone as the big brother, okay? And if you feel like you've found someone to call your own, take the first step. That person would be happy to have a guy like you."

"S-sure…"

"Okay. I'm going back up. We'll call when food is ready." She stood up before taking her leave, leaving the orange warrior to himself.

Kuu soon appeared as a spirit, taking on the shape of a miniature bear. "I didn't want to say it but after hearing Aneki talk… I told you so," he said, only to be pushed over by his partner.

"Shut it. …But thanks… For giving me that chance."

"That was all up to you. I just showed you the door. It was up to you to open it or not."

* * *

"I'm back~" Hotaru said as she entered the kitchen.

"Guess that talk went well," Akane said before holding out a piece of fried chicken for the girl to try.

"According to Inuko, yes. It did." She took a bite and smiled at the taste. "Perfect seasoning."

"Good. Now help me with the rest of them."

"Will do!"

"Ah. Where's Takahashi-kun?" Chiharu asked as she made salad bowls for everyone.

"I heard he was outside standing guard," Kyoko said," Has to watch over Tomoko and Chi from what he said."

"But Hiro-ojisan is holding Fuku-san, and he's at the Lab."

"Best to leave him be," Mitsuki said," You know he can be stubborn."

The two idols jumped back at the sight of the girl. "Warn us next time!" Kyoko chided, earning a shrug from the purple-clad girl.

"Well we shouldn't have too much trouble, anyways, since Kiku and Shota-kun are still there. And both Hiro-ji and Fuku are smart enough to not step out of the barrier when there's trouble. We should be fine for the time being."

"What if Kawazoe-san calls for us?" Chiharu asked, knowing there may be some events scheduled for them.

"Hiro-ji has them covered since you're on house-arrest."

"We'll just have to make do with what we have here, then," Hotaru said, laying out the dishes onto the dining table. She looked over towards Mitsuki. "Which means we can ask you a few questions, right?"

Mitsuki couldn't help but to feel a sudden chill up her spine when she saw the mischievous gleam in the older girl's eyes. "Wh-what do you mean by that?"

Kyoko and Chiharu soon caught on as they smiled. "Mind if we poke your brain a little bit, Mitsuki- _chan_?" Kyoko asked.

The small girl nervously swallowed when she saw menacing auras around the two. She quickly grabbed onto Tomoko, only for the idols to hum in amusement. "I guess even the confident dark half of Tomo-chi's soul has fears," Chiharu mused.

"I-I better do some research! I'll let you know everything when I'm done!" The girl disappeared, making the three laugh.

"She was so scared!" Kyoko laughed, grasping her stomach. "Who knew that sassy girl would be so scared of having her brain picked?!"

"Mou. Mitsuki-san is still part of me. Of course she'd be scared," Tomoko said with a pout, knowing she'd react the same way if they teased her. She felt her cheeks tugged.

"But you're more sensitive than her, Tomoko~ It wouldn't hurt to tease her like that~"

This only made the MoriBlue pout more. "What if I acted more like Mitsuki-san?"

"Then you wouldn't be Tomoko. Well. You still would be, but I guess how it would be if all this didn't happen. But still Tomoko."

"Would we still be friends?"

Akane stopped at this, sensing her sister's doubts. Hotaru took notice and gently took hold of her wrist to soothe her.

"Of course. Friends have to stick together. You, me, Chii. Even Ryouta, Shota-kun, and Takahashi. We'll all be your friends. Ne?"

Footsteps were heard as Ryouta came up from the Base. "Yo. Mind if I step in on the girl talk?" he asked.

"Don't see why not. Ah. Can you call Takahashi? It's almost time to eat."

* * *

 ** _N/A: So whatchu think? I kid you not, this took me about 3 rewrites before I was able to figure out what the hell I was going to do when it came to the Spirits coming over to the Human World. Here were some ideas:_**

 _ **1) Appear as miniature animal people (think neko girls but with their respective animals). Instantly scrapped because how the hell can that work in Sentai?  
2) Appear as talking animals.  
3) Appear as humans but have their elements make their animal ears/tails/wings/etc.  
4) Possess humans.**_

 _ **That last one took me about 2-3 iterations before I finally decided on how it's going to work. And it actually kinda makes sense and would help explain stuff that would happen in later chapters. Get it? Got it? Okay.**_

 _ **Also wanted to touch upon the relationships between a few characters and how they would foreshadow future chapters. I'm not saying when, but I'm just making it clear. The boys will have their character arcs but spread throughout different chapters. The past two chapters kick starts it and I do hope I get in another Ryouta/Satoshi chapter as they haven't officially reached closure about their rivaling roles in the team yet. Shota will have this own chapter because our young boy needs some love and attention after working so hard.**_

 _ **Next chapter is Part 2 of the Guardian Spirit Episode. Definitely a lot of action and classic Sentai screaming because I'm pretty sure some hell would break loose if the possessed hosts get into trouble.**_

 _ **Until then, じゃね～！**_


End file.
